Gwangju City Issues Administrative Order Prohibiting Gatherings of Door-to-Door Sales Companies Until the 15th

Violation Companies Will Be Reported... Compensation Claims for Damages If Confirmed Cases Occur

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City issued an administrative order banning gatherings at multi-level marketing companies, direct sales companies, and door-to-door sales companies until the 15th to prevent the rapidly spreading COVID-19 cluster infections on the 3rd.

This is an implementation measure following the resolution on the 1st by 22 related organizations including Gwangju City, autonomous districts, the Office of Education, and the Police Agency to raise social distancing to Level 2. It is a stronger measure to preemptively block the risk of COVID-19 spread through door-to-door sales companies.

Door-to-door sales companies have been subject to administrative orders restricting gatherings since the government designated them as high-risk facilities on the 23rd of last month. However, due to the recent spread of COVID-19 in the Gwangju area, the order was upgraded to a ban on gatherings.

Some door-to-door sales companies gather many people at specific locations to sell and promote certain products, exposing them to the risk of COVID-19.

Under this gathering ban order, all acts of gathering people at business sites, promotional centers, etc., for the purpose of sales and promotion by door-to-door sales companies are prohibited.

Gwangju City is conducting a full survey of 559 door-to-door sales companies in the area and plans to continuously focus inspections on violations of the gathering ban in cooperation with the police and autonomous districts.

To this end, the city has organized and is operating an inspection team of 10 people in 5 groups, and the autonomous districts have formed separate inspection teams to inspect 437 general door-to-door sales companies.

The inspection teams will focus on checking whether door-to-door sales companies gather multiple people for sales promotion purposes, and will also check compliance with quarantine rules such as electronic entry log registration, availability of disinfectants, and mask-wearing.

Gwangju City plans to take legal action against door-to-door sales companies found violating the gathering ban order. Violating companies will be fined up to 3 million won according to Article 80 of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

Additionally, for violating door-to-door sales companies where COVID-19 confirmed cases occur, the city plans to claim compensation for all costs incurred, including medical expenses.

Park Nam-eon, Director of the City’s Job and Economy Office, said, “To prevent and block the spread of COVID-19, it is necessary to minimize the so-called 3Cs: closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings.” He added, “We ask door-to-door sales companies to actively cooperate with Gwangju City’s gathering ban order until the 15th.”

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