President Moon Jae-in reportedly ordered special checks on a detention center in Seoul hit by mass COVID-19 infections.

An official at the presidential office told Yonhap News on Sunday that the president ordered the resolution of the issue multiple times during meetings with top presidential aides. 

The official reportedly said that the Justice Ministry appeared to have announced a set of measures to prevent clusters at correctional facilities last week to follow up on the president's orders. 

Moon's orders are also thought to have prompted Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun's visit to the detention center on Saturday and Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's apology over the outbreak on social media. 

The main opposition People Power Party has been criticizing the president and top office for keeping silent on the mass infections at the Dongbu Detention Center, which has reported more than one-thousand cases.