Jongno-gu, Ban on Demonstrations in Front of Yonhap News (Yulgok-ro 2-gil) and the U.S. Embassy

Designation of Assembly Restriction Zones in Front of Yonhap News (Yulgok-ro 2-gil), Near the US Embassy, and Jongno-gu Office Assembly Hotspots

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Jongno-gu (District Mayor Kim Young-jong) will designate additional assembly restriction zones as of midnight on July 3, following the restriction of assemblies and demonstrations in major areas on May 26 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The target areas are ▲ Yulgok-ro 2-gil road and surrounding sidewalks ▲ Yulgok-ro (from the intersection with Yulgok-ro 2-gil to Gyeongbokgung Intersection) ~ Jongno 1-gil (from Gyeongbokgung Intersection to Jongno Fire Station) road and surrounding sidewalks ▲ Jongno 5-gil (Katewin Tower to Jongno Fire Station) road and surrounding sidewalks ▲ Sambong-ro (U.S. Embassy to Cheongjin Police Substation) road and surrounding sidewalks.

The assembly restriction period is from midnight on July 3, 2020, until the infectious disease crisis alert level is lifted.

According to Article 80, Clause 7 of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act, organizers and participants who violate this may be subject to a fine of up to 3 million KRW.

This assembly restriction is a measure taken considering the high risk of infectious disease spread due to a large number of people gathering in a limited space at the same time during regular weekly assemblies held in front of Yonhap News (Yulgok-ro 2-gil).

Additionally, the decision was made considering that there are many large multi-use facilities near the assembly locations and that the assembly times coincide with lunchtime, causing a temporary significant increase in foot traffic.

Recently, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters requested local governments to review quarantine management plans due to concerns over mass infections caused by the increase in large-scale assemblies during a regular briefing.

In response, the district is making thorough preparations and efforts to prevent the possibility of mass infections as the number of confirmed cases passing through Jongno from other regions is rapidly increasing.

As part of this, periodic on-site inspections are conducted to check compliance with strengthened quarantine guidelines and the introduction of electronic entry logs targeting karaoke rooms, PC rooms, and similar facilities.

Furthermore, dedicated public officials are assigned to monitor overseas entrants on a one-on-one basis.

In preparation for students returning to school, from May 14 to 21, disinfection of internal facilities was carried out in 27 schools in the area with the cooperation of military units, and online learning devices were provided to about one thousand legally low-income students in the district.

Also, to support vulnerable groups such as residents of small rooms and homeless people on the streets, hand sanitizers and masks are provided, and fever checks are conducted to ensure that all residents can live in a healthy and safe environment.

District Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, “The number of new confirmed cases in the metropolitan area is rapidly increasing, and sporadic mass infections are occurring nationwide. To prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the city center, assemblies will be restricted, and strict measures will be taken against violations based on relevant laws.” He added, “We will take all necessary measures with a focus on the lives and safety of residents.”

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