"After Government Announcement, Lined Up at Dawn"…Frustration Over 'Mask Confusion' in Seoul and Gyeonggi

The Day After Government Announces Mask Supply Plan
Queues at Post Offices and Large Marts from 7:30 AM
Hundreds of Calls to Hanaro Mart and Pharmacies
"Mask Supply Uncertain... March Also Unpredictable"

A customer who visited Cheongnyang Post Office in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul at 8 a.m. on the 27th is taking a photo of a notice posted at the entrance. The notice states that masks are sold only at post offices located in towns and townships.

[Asia Economy Reporters Minyoung Cha and Seungjin Lee] Although the government has stepped in to resolve the mask supply crisis caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), purchasing masks remains as difficult as catching stars in the sky. From early dawn, people lined up at large supermarkets just to buy a mere 60 masks, and at post offices, many had to turn back after confirming that masks would only be supplied starting March 2. Pharmacists at pharmacies were busy turning away visitors seeking masks, saying, "There are no guidelines yet, and no stock is available."

At 7:30 a.m. on the 27th, a post office employee explained to Mr. Jung (71), who was lined up in front of Cheongnyang Post Office in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, "We are sorry, but our post office does not sell masks." Mr. Jung raised his voice, saying, "Where else does this happen? I came out early in the morning fearing masks would sell out, but it makes no sense that you don’t sell them." The post office employee repeatedly apologized, saying, "We understand the confusion as well," and explained, "Masks are sold on-site only at post offices located in towns and townships, and elsewhere they can be purchased through the online post office mall."

On the morning of the 27th at 9:30 AM, customers were shopping at Seoul Hanaro Mart Seodaemun Branch, the day after the government announced its mask supply policy. Customers who visited from the opening time of 8 AM to purchase masks turned away.

The situation was similar at Nonghyup Hanaro Mart. At 9:30 a.m. at the Hanaro Mart Seodaemun branch, customers trying to buy masks were noticeable. Mr. Park (71), who visited the mart without wearing a mask, expressed frustration, saying, "I came after watching the news, but they should provide accurate information; I wasted my trip for nothing." Mrs. Kim (41), a housewife who deliberately came in the morning to shop, said, "I came just in case, but I couldn’t buy a mask either," and complained, "They say masks can only be purchased at pharmacies in Seoul, but it’s inconvenient because they are far from home." A Hanaro Mart employee said, "Since the day before, we have been overwhelmed with many customers and phone inquiries," adding, "We received hundreds of calls since morning and hope to receive clear guidelines."

In the Seoul area, public masks are sold only at pharmacies. However, masks were not available even at pharmacies. Mr. Kim (45), a pharmacist operating a pharmacy in Mapo-gu, said, "The Pharmacists Association (Korean Pharmaceutical Association) has not issued any official documents or guidelines," and added, "Just because the government announced it doesn’t mean the stock will suddenly arrive." A pharmacy official near Seodaemun said, "Contrary to the news, we understand that supply is not smooth due to shortages between the government and manufacturers," and predicted, "It will likely be difficult even in early March."

On the morning of the 27th, the day after the government announced its mask supply policy, a "Masks Sold Out" notice was posted at a pharmacy near Seodaemun, Seoul, around 10:20 AM. Customers turned away after being informed that no mask stock had arrived.

At least masks could be found at nearby large supermarkets, but only about 10 people per store succeeded in purchasing them. At 8:30 a.m., 1 hour and 30 minutes before opening, about 10 customers lined up at Lotte Mart Cheongnyangni branch to buy masks. The first person in line arrived at 7:30 a.m. By 9 a.m., the number of customers seeking masks had more than doubled, but all had to turn away. On that day, Lotte Mart Cheongnyangni received a total of 60 masks, with a limit of 5 masks per person, allowing only the first 12 customers to purchase. Mr. Heo (41), who visited the mart at 8 a.m., said, "If I had come a little later, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get a mask," and added, "There are many family members, and we are running out of masks at home, so I will probably visit the mart early again tomorrow."

At 9 a.m. on the 27th, customers were lined up waiting to purchase masks at Lotte Mart Cheongnyangni Branch in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. On that day, only 60 masks were delivered to the Cheongnyangni Branch, and purchases were limited to 5 masks per person, allowing only up to the 12th customer to buy.

Meanwhile, the government secures and distributes 5 million masks daily, which is about 50% of the daily production. Of these, 1.5 million masks are prioritized for distribution to Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions. Of the remaining 3.5 million masks, 2.4 million will be allocated to approximately 24,000 pharmacies nationwide, with 100 masks each, and 1.1 million masks will be distributed first to about 1,400 post offices in towns and townships and 1,900 Nonghyup branches outside Seoul and Gyeonggi areas. Currently, public masks are not supplied to areas other than pharmacies in Seoul and Gyeonggi regions. However, this fact is not well known, causing most citizens to line up at post offices and Nonghyup branches, resulting in continuous disturbances both large and small.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.