SOUTH KOREA PERSPECTIVE

Seoul, May 22, 2026. A treatment center for Ebola was the target of a criminal arson attack in Rwampara, a town in Ituri province, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The incident occurred on Thursday after a group of young people, seeking to retrieve the body of a friend who had died from the disease, clashed with health authorities. An Associated Press journalist on the scene reported that individuals entered the center before setting it on fire, including what appeared to be the remains of at least one presumed victim of the virus.

Alexis Burata, a student who was in the area, described the scene to the AP: "The police intervened to try to calm the situation, but unfortunately, it was unsuccessful. The young people ended up setting the center on fire. That's the situation." Deputy Commissioner Jean Claude Mukendi, responsible for public security in Ituri, attributed the act to a lack of understanding of the protocols in place: "His family, friends, and other young people wanted to bring his body back home for a funeral, while the instructions from the authorities during this epidemic are clear - all bodies must be buried according to regulations."

The humanitarian organization ALIMA, whose teams were working in the center, stated through its field coordinator Hama Amadou that calm had been restored and field work continued. The episode illustrates the persistent tension between strict sanitary measures imposed to curb the spread of the virus and local funeral practices, culturally rooted in the region.

According to UN data, the outbreak has caused 148 suspected deaths and nearly 600 presumed cases. Two cases have also been reported in neighboring Uganda, including one fatal. The World Health Organization has classified the situation as a public health emergency of international concern and its director-general has warned that the actual number of cases is almost certainly much higher than official numbers. The WHO also estimates that the risk of global spread remains low, but considers the regional risk to be high, as Ituri province is bordering Uganda and South Sudan.

The Korea Times, the only Korean media outlet covering the event, reproduces the AP article in full, emphasizing operational factors: the inadequacy of healthcare infrastructure in the region, the massive displacement of populations due to armed conflicts, and the danger posed by the bodies of Ebola victims for those participating in traditional funeral rites.