29 Million Qualification Exam Candidates This Month Amid COVID-19... Ministry of Employment and Labor's Emergency Quarantine Management

On the 20th, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection has recorded three digits for the tenth consecutive day. Office workers wearing masks are heading to work at the Sejongno intersection in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] As social distancing measures are being strengthened due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the government is enhancing quarantine management at high-risk and vulnerable workplaces as well as on-site qualification examinations.

On the 19th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor held an 'Emergency Task Force Meeting for Crisis Response in Employment and Labor' to review the quarantine management system at workplaces and discuss measures to support employment stability.

This meeting was held to review and implement strengthened quarantine management measures necessary for workplaces, training institutions, and qualification examinations following the decision to strengthen social distancing in the metropolitan area due to COVID-19.

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jae-gap urged, "Please promptly carry out inspections and strengthen management of quarantine conditions at vulnerable workplaces in the metropolitan area to block the chain of infection spreading from religious facilities and multi-use facilities in the metropolitan area to workplaces and further reproduction."

The minister also instructed, "Thoroughly implement pre-quarantine measures for qualification exams such as the technician and industrial engineer tests expected to have 290,000 applicants this month, and guide compliance with quarantine rules before and after the exams."

Based on the meeting results, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will strengthen quarantine management at high-risk and vulnerable workplaces.

First, the 'Level 2 Social Distancing Workplace Quarantine Guidelines' will be disseminated to workplaces through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Council, safety and health managers, and SNS, and urgent voluntary inspections of quarantine conditions will be conducted at 2,000 vulnerable workplaces such as call centers and logistics centers located in the metropolitan area.

For 150 high-risk workplaces with poor compliance to quarantine rules or high worker density, local labor offices plan to conduct unannounced inspections.

Asia Economy DB=Yoon Dong-joo, Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Additionally, in collaboration with related organizations such as the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency and 428 private safety and health institutions, quarantine guidance will be strengthened at 5,000 construction sites and 5,000 manufacturing workplaces in the metropolitan area.

Quarantine management for training institutions and qualification examinations will also be reinforced. For large training institutions with 300 or more people in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon regions, suspension of operations is recommended starting today; however, remote training is allowed according to remote substitution guidelines.

For training institutions with fewer than 300 people, compliance checks on quarantine rules will be strengthened, and operations will be restricted if core quarantine rules such as mask-wearing are violated.

Qualification examinations will be conducted as originally scheduled to avoid disruptions in examinees' job preparation.

According to the exam implementation plan for each quarantine level, practical exams for beauty (skin care, makeup) and diving-related categories will be suspended in areas under Level 2 social distancing such as Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Busan.

Measures such as securing additional exam rooms, reducing the number of people per exam room (from 20 to 16 or fewer), and spreading exam dates (from 1 day to 2 days) will be taken to minimize crowding.

Safety distances of at least 1.5 meters between examinees will be ensured, exam sites will be disinfected and temperature checks conducted, and confirmed COVID-19 cases or self-quarantined individuals will be prohibited from taking the exams. Furthermore, compliance with existing quarantine measures will be reinforced to minimize risks during the exams.

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