The Crowded Commute with Scattered Empty Spots... Seoul Felt the Tension

Subway and Bus Ridership Drops... Quiet Public Transport Contrasts with Usual Crowds
Large Coffee Shops Explain Safety Measures to Occasional Visitors
'Darkened Entertainment District'... Young People Turn to Convenience Stores Instead

On the 31st, as the novel coronavirus infection rapidly spreads mainly in the metropolitan area and social distancing level 2.5 is in effect, office workers are heading to work at the Sejongno intersection in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy reporters Jo In-kyung, Yoo Byung-don, Jung Dong-hoon] On the morning of the 31st, the first weekday after the implementation of social distancing level 2.5, citizens wearing masks walked silently through the Sejong-ro intersection. Around 7:40 a.m., there were empty seats scattered inside Seoul Subway Line 5 at Gwanghwamun Station. The buses heading downtown were also much less crowded compared to usual at similar times.

Nearby large coffee shops were similarly empty. At Starbucks, staff were busy guiding customers about quarantine guidelines. There were four employees and three customers, including the reporter. Another nearby caf? gave up morning operations entirely from that day. This store usually opens from 7 a.m. but announced it would start business from 11 a.m. until the 6th of next month. At a franchise caf? near Dangsan Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, visited at a similar time, staff helped customers fill out entry logs at the entrance. The stairs to the second floor with seating were blocked off. Some customers protested, saying, "Isn't the ban on eating inside the caf? only applied during evening hours?" but the caf? staff explained the 'quarantine guidelines' and stopped customers by saying, "Takeout only."

The social distancing level 2.5, which took effect at midnight the previous day, drastically changed the daily lives of residents in the metropolitan area. For one week until the 6th of next month, restaurants and pubs are only allowed to offer takeout and delivery from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day, and large caf?s are prohibited from allowing in-store beverage consumption. Visits to nursing hospitals and facilities, where many elderly people reside, are completely banned.

However, while franchise caf?s like Starbucks prohibit in-store beverage consumption, there are criticisms that the standards are ambiguous because individually operated caf?s, bakeries specializing in bread but also selling drinks, and fast-food outlets are allowed to have seated dining. On that morning, office workers who bought coffee at a privately run bakery near Seonyudo Station in Seoul sat at outdoor tables in front of the store and chatted.

On the 31st, as the novel coronavirus infection rapidly spreads mainly in the metropolitan area and social distancing level 2.5 is in effect, office workers are heading to work at the Sejongno intersection in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

The confusing standards may be organized in a more 'strengthened' direction. A Seoul city official said, "It is practically difficult to manage by classifying all food service businesses in detail, so for now, we have no choice but to restrict according to government guidelines," adding, "Since this concerns the entire metropolitan area, we will discuss with the government to consider establishing reasonable guidelines."

Level 2.5 has also greatly changed Seoul's 'nightscape.' Around midnight on the 31st, most restaurants in the youthful streets near Hongik University, the food alley in front of Yeongdeungpo Station, and the entertainment districts near Gangnam Station turned off their lights and stopped operations. Only faint lights from a few restaurants offering takeout or delivery illuminated the bustling areas. One pub owner lamented, "They say takeout and delivery are allowed, but that doesn't apply to most pubs," adding, "It's basically telling us to close."

With late-night dining at restaurants banned, some citizens headed to convenience stores with outdoor tables. In the early morning of the 31st, four outdoor tables in front of a convenience store in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, were continuously visited by young people. They bought soju, canned beer, snacks, and ate and drank while chatting for a long time. Convenience store employee Jin (24) said, "Usually, most customers buy cigarettes or hangover drinks, but today, alcohol is selling the most."

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