Korean media: South Korean official in charge of managing Covid-19 crisis commits suicide at Han River

Police investigations are currently ongoing.

Melanie Lim | February 27, 2020, 10:27 PM

Korean media, Naver News reported on Feb. 25 that a male official from South Korea's Ministry of Justice committed suicide from a bridge across the Han River.

Man was in charge of managing the Covid-19 crisis

The man, who was in his 30s, was an employee at the Office of Emergency Safety Planning which is in charge of national emergency and disaster management, Naver reported.

The Office of Emergency Safety Planning is also in charge of the Covid-19 outbreak in South Korea, according to Naver.

According to the South Korean online media, CCTV footage showed the man driving his car and hitting the railing of the Dongjak Bridge.

He then allegedly jumped from the bridge into the Han River and passed away at around 5am (4am Singapore time), Arirang Institute reported.

It was only around 9am (8am Singapore time) when his body was found by the Banpo rescue team, according to Naver.

The police and South Korea's Ministry of Justice are currently investigating the reasons for the man's alleged suicide and any possible links between his death and his work.

13 deaths, 1,766 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in South Korea

As of Feb. 27, South Korea reported 505 additional Covid-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1,766.

There have also been 13 deaths due to the virus.

In light of the growing number of Covid-19 cases in South Korea, Singapore's Ministry of Health has implemented a ban on travellers with travel history to Cheongdo and Daegu in South Korea in the past 14 days.

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