Seoul City Urges "Refrain from Eating at Hangang Park"... 'Ten Million Citizens Pause' Extended Until the 13th (Comprehensive)

"Golden Time to Restore Pre-Corona Daily Life" ... Social Distancing Level 2.5 Extended for One Week
Convenience Stores, Pocha, and Food Trucks Continue Ban on Eating After 9 PM

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Seoul City will extend the "Ten Million Citizens Pause Week" for another week in accordance with the government's extended Level 2 strengthened "social distancing" measures. Indoor group gatherings of 50 or more people, nighttime dining at restaurants and convenience stores, and in-person church services are prohibited, and restrictions on gatherings at academies and PC rooms will continue.

Seo Jeong-hyeop, Acting Mayor of Seoul, announced this during an online briefing on the afternoon of the 6th, urging, "Please once again demonstrate the great spirit of the citizens until the 13th."

According to Seoul City, as of midnight on the 6th, the number of new confirmed cases in the Seoul area increased by 63 from the previous day, totaling 4,314. An additional 28 confirmed cases were reported by 2 p.m. that day.

Acting Mayor Seo said, "Since the 15th of last month, the daily new confirmed cases, which had been in the triple digits, have dropped to double digits starting early this week when the Ten Million Citizens Pause Week began, showing a downward trend. However, sporadic cluster infections are still expanding in everyday close-contact settings such as residential facilities like apartments, gatherings with acquaintances, and family meetings, so we cannot be complacent yet."

In line with the extension of the strengthened social distancing measures, the city will maintain the current policy allowing only takeout and delivery from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day at 161,087 general restaurants and snack bars located in Seoul. To prevent a balloon effect where citizens flock to other places, the same gathering restrictions after 9 p.m. will continue for 2,804 convenience stores, street stalls, street vendors, and food trucks.

In addition to the existing 4,511 coffee franchise stores, 2,176 bakeries, ice cream and bingsu (shaved ice dessert) shops will also be allowed only takeout and delivery regardless of business hours until the 13th.

Besides the 14,770 academies currently banned from in-person classes, 337 vocational training institutions will also be allowed only non-face-to-face remote classes.

The existing measures, including bans on gatherings and events of 50 or more people indoors and 100 or more outdoors, closure of 12 types of high-risk facilities such as PC rooms and karaoke rooms, and bans on private sports facilities such as gyms, billiard halls, and golf practice ranges totaling 11,297 locations, will continue. Reduced operation of city buses will also continue until midnight on the 13th.

Seoul City also expressed concern that as indoor activities are restricted, citizens are flocking to outdoor spaces such as Hangang Park and neighborhood parks, emphasizing, "Although outdoor spaces are not subject to gathering restrictions, they are not free from infection risks, so we will manage them thoroughly." Currently, an "Emergency Night Park Management Measure" is being implemented in parks around the Yeonnam-dong area, with daily joint inspections being conducted.

For churches, only non-face-to-face services are allowed, and churches violating this will face complaints and claims for damages.

Acting Mayor Seo stated, "We have issued gathering ban orders to 40 churches caught holding in-person services together with autonomous districts, and among them, four churches that repeatedly violated the order have been reported for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. In particular, three churches where confirmed cases occurred through in-person services are currently facing both complaints and claims for damages."

Regarding Sarang Jeil Church and Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, who caused a recent large-scale outbreak, claims for damages will be filed jointly with the state and the National Health Insurance Service. Nineteen individuals who were confirmed to have visited Sarang Jeil Church but repeatedly refused testing despite encouragement will be reported first for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

Acting Mayor Seo said, "The past week has once again proven that the best vaccine against infectious diseases is the citizens themselves. I deeply thank all the citizens who have actively participated despite the inconveniences and hardships in daily life. Above all, I bow my head in gratitude to the small business owners and self-employed who made the Ten Million Citizens Pause Week possible with their spirit of sacrifice and coexistence while struggling to survive."

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