Avoid coercive measures

Forcing quarantine violators to wear electronic tag is problematic

The government is considering the use of electronic tagging bracelets to ensure that people abide by the 14-day self-quarantine measure in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19. A health ministry official said Tuesday that such devices were one of several options that could be used to monitor people's movements as many under self-quarantine orders have left their homes despite the government's stance of zero tolerance.

Currently, all people arriving from abroad must download a mobile app enabling the health authorities to track their location. In some cases, people in mandatory self-quarantine have been leaving their homes without their smartphones or switching off location functions to avoid scrutiny from the government. This kind of irresponsible behavior is serious enough to arouse public resentment at a time when most in our society are complying with social distancing rules. This is why the government is considering introducing the electronic bracelets despite concerns about privacy and human rights violations.

These devices cannot be an option. Given that electronic anklets are used to monitor sex offenders, the negative connotations associated with using electronic bracelets are inevitable. People in quarantine will but react strongly if they have to wear them. This also contradicts the government's pursuit of openness and transparency in responding to the coronavirus pandemic to date. Furthermore, the administration has toughened up on penalties for those violating self-quarantine rules from the original 3 million won ($2,450) fine or up to one year in prison to a 10 million won ($8,200) fine, which would certainly cause potential quarantine violators to think twice.

Most of those who are in quarantine are following the rules. So far, 75 people have been found to have violated their quarantine, a tiny fraction of the more than 46,000 people who have undergone the measure. As things stand now, it's better to avoid coercive measures that could infringe upon human rights no matter how urgent our situation is. The government should trust citizens and focus on dealing strictly with people violating the quarantine rules.