Blocked Han River Park, so to the plaza... Late summer midnight 'Balloon Effect'

Major Hangang Parks Restricted, City Parks and Plazas 'Crowded'
Concerns Rise Over Quarantine Risks as Partygoers Seek Summer Night Fun

On the evening of the 8th, around 9 PM, citizens gathered in a small plaza in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, drinking or conversing with their masks lowered. Photo by Byungdon Yoo tamond@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Around 9 p.m. on the 8th, at a small plaza in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Citizens began gathering one by one, and before long, the crowd was so dense that there was barely any space to stand. In the hands of the groups of citizens sitting in threes and fives, there were plastic bags containing beer cans without exception. Whenever someone left, others quickly filled the spot, and this scene continued past midnight.

After the government implemented social distancing level 2.5 measures, making access to Hangang Park difficult, a 'balloon effect' has appeared where citizens move to small parks or plazas throughout the city. Hangang Park, being relatively spacious, allowed for some distancing between groups, but smaller neighborhood parks have raised concerns as the influx of drinkers could increase the risk of infection.

Residents’ anxiety is growing over the gathering of people in usually quiet parks. Citizen Kang (33, female) said, "The purpose of restricting access to Hangang Park is to tell people not to gather as much as possible," adding, "It’s unpleasant to see people unable to hold back for days and gathering to drink anyway."

The situation was similar at a plaza near a complex shopping mall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Citizens sitting around were chatting noisily, each holding a glass or beer can, and some were openly smoking cigarettes in various spots.

The situation is no different at the so-called 'Yeontral Park' on the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail in Mapo-gu, popular among young people. This area, lined with bars on both sides, has long been the second gathering spot for citizens kicked out of bars around 9 p.m. Although access restriction lines are installed in many places, people seem to ignore them.

On the 8th, Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul is being partially closed as the Seoul Metropolitan Government controls access to major crowded areas within Hangang Park and reduces the operating hours of convenience stores and parking lots to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 8th, Seoul City announced that it would restrict access to certain areas of Hangang Citizen’s Park, including Yeouido, Ttukseom, and Banpo, where large crowds gather, as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This action followed about one million citizens visiting Hangang Citizen’s Park from August 31 to September 6. Notably, it was recently confirmed that a COVID-19 patient visited a convenience store in Ttukseom Park on the 1st.

Shin Yong-mok, head of the Hangang Project Headquarters, urged, "To ensure everyone’s safety in Hangang Park, a resting place for 10 million citizens, please refrain from gatherings, drinking, and eating for the time being," and added, "Despite the inconveniences and hardships in daily life, we ask for active cooperation through mature civic consciousness."

Recently, the number of new COVID-19 cases has somewhat decreased compared to last week when concerns about resurgence were widespread. However, the 'non-cooperation' of drinkers trying to enjoy the late summer still poses a risk of triggering community infections.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on this day, 155 new confirmed cases were identified compared to the previous day. The number of new cases, which surged to the 400s on August 27, has gradually decreased to the 300s, 200s, and 100s, maintaining the 100s for eight consecutive days since September 3.

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