Complete Ban on Gatherings of 10 or More People Across Seoul Until the 30th of This Month (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Seoul City announced that starting from midnight on the 21st, all gatherings of 10 or more people held throughout Seoul will be completely banned due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

Organizers and participants of gatherings violating the ban will be reported to the local police station and may be fined up to 3 million KRW under Article 80, Clause 7 of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act.

This ban on gatherings of 10 or more people corresponds to the government's level 3 "social distancing" measures. Currently, under the government's level 2 social distancing, gatherings of 100 or more people are prohibited, but if escalated to level 3, gatherings of 10 or more people will be banned.

Seoul has a high population density and a large floating population, making it the area most at risk for n-th generation infection spread. Therefore, the city explained that it decided on proactive measures to block the risk of COVID-19 spread.

Recently, nearly 300 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been continuously reported nationwide daily, with over 100 cases occurring daily in Seoul as well.

Earlier, on the 15th, despite the court's suspension of the ban on gatherings, the Gwanghwamun rally was initially reported to have about 100 participants, but in reality, thousands attended, resulting in confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide.

The city judged that stronger social distancing measures are necessary, as confirmed cases also occurred among police riot squad members dispatched to the rally site to ensure citizen safety.

Seo Jeong-hyeop, Acting Mayor of Seoul, stated, "We are currently facing a more serious crisis than ever before. If n-th generation local infections spread, the infectious disease management system, which has been operating firmly until now, could collapse, and an uncontrollable situation may become a reality." He urged, "To protect the lives and safety of yourself, your family, and neighbors, we ask citizens to actively cooperate with the gathering ban."

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