Anchor: As a cluster of COVID-19 infections linked to clubs in Seoul’s Itaewon area continues to grow, the central and regional governments are working hard to track down everyone who visited the venues in question. With thousands of clubbers yet to step forward, authorities are promising anonymous testing as they race to stop the virus' spread. 
Moon Gwang-lip has more. 

Report:  As of noon Wednesday, 119 people who either visited six clubs in Itaewon or had contact with an infected patient in this latest cluster have been diagnosed with COVID-19. 

This comes only a week after a 29-year-old man from Yongin, Gyeonggi Province tested positive for the infectious disease after visiting one of the clubs in Seoul’s nightlight district.  

A growing number of cases tied to the Itaewon cluster is posing a tough challenge for South Korea, which recently eased stringent social distancing rules following a significant decline in local infections. 

It is also testing the country’s quarantine regime, which despite some criticism for potential privacy violation issues, has drawn praise for its efficiency.

The Itaewon clubs at the heart of this cluster are known to be frequented by gay people and other sexual minorities, which poses another issue for those who may have visited the clubs but fear getting tested and facing discrimination.

Some two-thousand out of roughly five-thousand-500 people who are believed to have visited the clubs between April 24 and May 6 have not yet emerged, despite the authorities' desperate efforts to get them tested before it is too late. 

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the government aims to track down and test all people who visited the Itaewon area within the week.

[Sound bite: Prime Minster Chung Sye-kyun (Korean)]
“I'll repeat it once more. Right now, I would like you to visit a nearby health or triage center. During the checkup, we will not ask about anything that may reveal your identity except for whether or not you visited areas involved in this case. Even if you test positive, we will delete any revealing information and disclose only minimum travel history.” 

During a meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Wednesday, Chung urged all visitors to voluntarily come forward, stressing that their personal information will be protected.

Another challenge to containing the latest outbreak is communication with the foreigner population. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Wednesday that it secured a list of 10-thousand-905 mobile phone users who accessed network stations near the clubs between April 24 and May 6, and that 11 percent, or one-thousand-210 people, are foreigners.

[Sound bite: Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon (Korean)]
“Accordingly, Seoul City immediately sent a notice written in English to those foreigners on the list and asked them to get tested at a public health center or a triage center.” 

The mayor called for voluntary cooperation to contain the COVID-19 cluster, which has already become the capital's second largest following the Guro call center cluster.

[Sound bite: Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon (Korean)]
“As I have already said several times, fighting an epidemic is a race against time. Above all, getting tested on a voluntary basis is important. Everyone who visited clubs in Itaewon between April 24 and May 6, please do not waste any time and go get tested.” 

To reduce any possible quarantine loopholes, the metropolitan government ensured that it will publish all new coronavirus-related guidelines in 12 languages so foreign residents in the capital are swiftly informed of related information. 

The city said it is also providing relevant information to foreign embassies with the hope that it will be delivered to the people from the respective countries as well.

Moon Gwang-lip, KBS World Radio News.