Gyeonggi-do, Joint Inspection on Mask Wearing Compliance

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has launched a joint inspection of mask-wearing practices.

Starting from the 24th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it has begun joint inspections with city and county governments and the police on mask-wearing practices at major multi-use facilities such as cafes, restaurants, movie theaters, indoor sports facilities, PC rooms, and waterfront parks across 31 cities and counties.

The province recently issued an administrative order mandating personal mask-wearing for all residents and visitors throughout the province.

For major indoor multi-use facilities, the province is conducting joint inspections with city and county governments and the police, while outdoor crowded places such as parks and lakesides are being inspected independently by city and county governments.

Multi-use facilities subject to inspection are determined in consultation with city and county governments, focusing on places expected to have a high number of users.

Through the joint inspections, the province checks compliance with the administrative order, while the police are responsible for law enforcement, including detaining those who refuse quarantine measures and preventing physical confrontations.

All residents and visitors in the province must wear masks indoors and outdoors where crowds gather, such as at assemblies and performances, until a separate lifting order is issued. If masks are not worn, gatherings of two or more people are restricted regardless of indoor or outdoor location (except for unavoidable cases such as routine private life or food consumption).

Violations will result in fines of up to 3 million KRW or penalties of up to 100,000 KRW according to relevant laws. If damage such as infection spread occurs due to failure to wear masks, quarantine costs may be claimed.

Fines will be imposed starting from the 18th when the administrative order began, following criminal charges and investigations. Penalties are possible under current law starting from October 13. After October 13, both fines and penalties may be imposed, or one may be chosen.

A provincial official stated, "The purpose of this inspection is to raise awareness of infectious diseases among facility owners and users and to spread the atmosphere of mandatory mask-wearing," adding, "Since masks are the minimum defense, please wear them properly in all situations where contact with others is possible."

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