"The Pharmacist Cried" Disruptions and Threats at Pharmacies... The Unending 'Mask Crisis'

Increase in Retaliation Crimes After 'Mask 5-Day Rotation' Implementation
Citizens Demand "Stricter Punishments"
Police Strengthen Patrols at Official Mask Sales Locations

On the 6th, citizens are purchasing masks at a pharmacy near Jongno 5-ga, Seoul. From this day onward, a duplicate purchase verification system has been established at pharmacies nationwide, requiring presentation of an ID to buy masks. The purchase limit per person, which was 5 masks, has been reduced to 2 masks per person.
Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Amid the implementation of the five-day mask purchase system due to mask supply and demand issues, incidents of people threatening or using violence to demand masks on days they are not allowed to buy them have been occurring one after another, sparking controversy.

Civilians are voicing criticism, saying, "Many people could get hurt, so shouldn't security personnel be deployed?" This is because not only pharmacists but also citizens who come to buy masks could be harmed. The police have stepped up patrols, focusing on official mask sales locations.

According to the Busanjin Police Station in Busan on the 12th, at around 1:10 p.m., a 50-year-old man identified as Mr. A was reported via 112 emergency call for kicking the display shelves and causing a disturbance at a pharmacy in Bujeon-dong, Busanjin-gu.

Police investigation revealed that Mr. A asked for a mask at the pharmacy, but upon hearing that "it is not the day Mr. A is allowed to purchase masks, so they cannot sell it," he kicked the display shelves and caused a commotion.

As a result, products such as nutritional ampoules placed on the pharmacy display shelves were damaged. At that time, about ten people were reportedly waiting in front of the pharmacy to buy masks.

The police applied the Minor Offenses Act to Mr. A and issued a fine of 30,000 won.

This is not the first time a pharmacist has been targeted in such venting crimes. On the first day of the five-day system implementation, the 9th, an incident occurred where a pharmacy employee was threatened with a weapon demanding masks.

A 63-year-old man, Mr. B, is suspected of threatening with a sickle at a pharmacy in Gwangju at around 5:30 p.m. after the staff said, "Masks are sold out." Fortunately, the employee was unharmed, and there were no other customers inside the pharmacy.

On the 11th, citizens lined up in front of a pharmacy in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do to buy masks. Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, a post about a pharmacist crying due to difficulties in the mask sales process was uploaded on an online community.

The post author stated, "Many people got angry demanding masks at the neighborhood pharmacy," and added, "Eventually, the pharmacist shouted, 'I will no longer receive official masks, so don't come,' and shed tears." They further commented, "Pharmacies seem very exhausted these days. Pharmacists have become an extreme occupation."

As a result, voices are rising to strengthen penalties for illegal acts occurring at official mask sales locations.

A man in his 20s, Mr. C, said, "There are designated days, so I don't understand why people come on other days and cause trouble," expressing frustration, "No matter how much you throw a tantrum, masks won't appear out of nowhere. There are too many inconsiderate people." He added, "I understand it's tough as the COVID-19 situation drags on, but I don't think it's right to take it out on others," and continued, "Everyone is anxious because of COVID-19, and now they even face threats to their personal safety. Increasing the severity of punishments is necessary to eliminate such crimes."

Some pointed out that the problem lies in the very limited quantity of official masks. A 36-year-old office worker, Mr. D, said, "The quantity is small, but many people want to buy them," and lamented, "There are many times when I come away empty-handed. Because of this, I have seen many people complain."

Meanwhile, as pharmacies and post offices have been designated as official mask sales locations and venting crimes have continued, the police have stepped up patrols. On the 13th, the National Police Agency announced that they have strengthened 112 patrols and established a rapid response system focusing on official mask sales locations within the jurisdiction of district police stations and police boxes nationwide.

The police plan to strengthen patrols during sales hours in cooperation with official mask sales locations, deploy police personnel nearby to maintain order and prevent illegal acts amid congestion, and, if additional personnel are needed due to conditions such as manpower at district police stations and police boxes, support from crime prevention patrol team members will be requested to conduct joint duty.

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