"Wanna Go Out" vs "No Way"... The Cruel Story of COVID Self-Quarantine

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Bong-gi and Jung Dong-hoon] "What time is it now... You must not go out because of the high risk of infection, Mother!"

On the 1st, at the home of Park So-hyun (39, female) living in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, a loud argument broke out between her mother-in-law who was about to go out and her husband who tried to stop her. The mother-in-law in her 70s, who had not been able to go outside for several days due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), expressed her frustration, while the husband opposed, saying, "The coronavirus is spreading more because of people wandering around." Park, the daughter-in-law, tried to mediate, but the quarrel continued for a long time. Park sighed, saying, "How frustrated must my mother-in-law have been to get upset like a child about not being able to go out," adding, "Being unable to move at all feels like being in prison."

Due to the spread of COVID-19, 'voluntary isolation' by avoiding going out and staying indoors has become the weekend scene. As local governments nationwide requested the suspension of gatherings and large-scale events, the city centers became deserted, and family outings to major amusement spots drastically decreased.

According to Lotte World on the 2nd, the number of visitors during the two weekend days of February 29 and March 1 decreased by 30% compared to the previous weekend. This decrease is similar to that of the same period last year. Everland also saw a 30% drop in visitors compared to the previous year. An Everland official said, "Outdoor amusement facilities are greatly affected by weather factors such as fine dust, but the number of visitors is gradually decreasing due to COVID-19."

Seoul's major hiking trails, once crowded with spring visitors, also saw a significant drop in visitors. Cheonggyesan had 1,255 visitors over two days starting February 29, a 20% decrease compared to the same period last year. Compared to the previous weekend (February 22-23), about 60 fewer people visited. However, during the same period, Bukhansan saw about 7,500 visitors last weekend, an increase of about 20% compared to the previous weekend. A Bukhansan National Park official explained, "The weather was clear last weekend compared to the snowy previous weekend, and outdoor areas have less risk of infection than enclosed indoor spaces."

Concerns about infection due to the spread of COVID-19 have intensified since last weekend. The daily number of new COVID-19 cases, which was around 100, surged to hundreds starting February 26 when testing focused on members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus (Shincheonji). On Friday, February 28, 586 people were confirmed positive in one day, and on Saturday, 813 people were diagnosed. As the number of deaths increased daily, fear of infection spread in the community, leading citizens to voluntarily refrain from going out.

Most weekend religious events were also suspended. In Protestantism, large churches rapidly joined the suspension of worship services last weekend to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest church in Korea with 560,000 members, switched all services, including Sunday worship on the previous day and March 8, to online. Youngnak Church switched its Sunday service to online live streaming, and Sarang Community Church, with 100,000 members, changed all services to live streaming until March 14.

The Catholic Church also suspended Masses in all dioceses nationwide for the first time in its 236-year history, and the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and Won Buddhism also plan to suspend ceremonies and prayers for the time being.

However, some Protestant churches faced criticism for holding weekend services. Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, held two 3.1 Movement Day joint services at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the 1st. This church is pastored by Reverend Jeon Kwang-hoon (64, currently detained), who is the chairman of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK).

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