Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon: "527 Call Centers Confirmed... PC Bangs and Karaoke Rooms Also Under Full Investigation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Despite increasing concerns about infection due to the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), it has been revealed that only about 100 out of approximately 520 call centers in Seoul are operating with remote work. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to complete a full survey of small-scale infection-prone businesses such as PC rooms and karaoke rooms as soon as possible following the call centers, and to establish countermeasures.

On the morning of the 16th, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon held a briefing and announced that from the 11th to the 13th, an additional 110 workplaces were identified through financial associations and call center operating organizations, completing a full survey of 527 call centers in Seoul.

This full survey was conducted by Seoul city officials visiting sites directly to inspect the industry type, work status, quarantine measures, and remote work status.

According to the survey results, about 99% of 523 companies implemented quarantine measures, and about 20% of 101 companies were conducting remote work.

Furthermore, following the group infection at a call center in Guro-gu, it was found that 98% voluntarily wore masks, adjusted partition heights, and practiced social distancing.

The city distributed guidelines to call center companies that include quarantine management, improvement of working environments, and establishment of prevention systems.

Mayor Park emphasized, "This survey confirmed that additional efforts are needed to protect workers' rights, such as addressing the subcontracting structure and poor labor conditions. We plan to significantly strengthen the quarantine system to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and management to protect workers' rights."

Seoul also announced that since the 12th, a full survey of 10,227 PC rooms and karaoke rooms is underway. A total of 1,221 officials, including those from autonomous districts, have been deployed on-site.

Mayor Park stated, "We will proactively identify high-risk workplaces with close contact to conduct preventive quarantine, and guide and instruct infection prevention through measures such as reducing work density and limiting the number of people using crowded break areas."

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