Starting Tomorrow, Restaurants, Cafes, and PC Rooms in the Seoul Metropolitan Area Will Operate Normally... Mandatory Distancing Remains (Update)

Citizens are resting at an outdoor cafe in Seoul city, where social distancing level 2.5 is being enforced due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The government has decided to ease the strengthened social distancing measures (Level 2.5) in the Seoul metropolitan area to Level 2 and extend the period for another two weeks starting from midnight on the 14th, allowing franchise cafes, PC rooms, academies, study cafes, and indoor sports facilities to resume normal operations. However, mandatory in-store distancing conditions must be met, and quarantine rules must be strictly followed. Proactive quarantine management will be strengthened in medical institutions and nursing hospitals/facilities where many high-risk groups with high fatality rates are concentrated.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) decided at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on the afternoon of the 13th to ease social distancing in the metropolitan area to Level 2, extend it until the 27th, and add precise quarantine measures to further strengthen the quarantine of high-risk facilities.

In-store dining allowed at cafes,
Business allowed after 9 PM,
Capacity limited by spaced seating

Under the previous Level 2.5 distancing measures, restaurants and franchise coffee/beverage shops, bakeries, ice cream shops, and shaved ice shops in the metropolitan area faced business restrictions and closures, but from midnight on this day, they can operate normally.

Franchise-type cafes (coffee/beverage specialty stores, bakeries, ice cream/shaved ice shops) will no longer be limited to takeout and delivery only during business hours. Instead, they must implement spaced seating by leaving one seat empty at each table or spacing tables apart, limiting the number of customers using in-store seats.

Additionally, mask-wearing, visitor log registration, and maintaining a 2-meter (minimum 1 meter) distance between tables are mandatory. However, if customers use takeout or delivery and do not consume food inside the store, visitor logs do not need to be recorded.

General and casual dining restaurants, bakeries, etc., in the metropolitan area, which had been allowed only takeout and delivery orders after 9 PM for the past two weeks since the 30th of last month, can now operate normally again under strict quarantine rules.

These establishments must also manage visitor logs mandatorily, and business owners and workers must wear masks. They must maintain a 2-meter (minimum 1 meter) distance between users inside the facility. Similar to coffee shops, if customers do not consume food inside the store, visitor logs do not need to be recorded.

The CDSCH plans to recommend and consider incentives for installing partitions on tables or providing individual bowls so that customers can serve themselves to reduce infection risks in restaurants and bakeries.

Source=Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters

Relaxation of gathering bans for academies, reading rooms, study cafes, and indoor sports facilities
PC rooms allowed to operate with minor restrictions such as banning minors and spaced seating
High-risk facilities like medical institutions and nursing hospitals to undergo sample diagnostic testing and visitation bans

Gathering bans on academies, reading rooms, study cafes, vocational training centers, and indoor sports facilities in the metropolitan area will be eased. They can resume operations if they mandate mask-wearing, visitor log registration, and maintain a 2-meter (minimum 1 meter) distance between users.

PC rooms are no longer classified as high-risk facilities and can operate if they enforce quarantine rules such as banning minors, spaced seating, and prohibiting food consumption. If these facilities violate core quarantine rules, the government may impose gathering bans or fines up to 3 million KRW.

In nursing hospitals and facilities in the metropolitan area where many high-risk COVID-19 groups are concentrated, quarantine inspections and sample diagnostic testing will be conducted. Visitation bans will be maintained, and quarantine management will be strengthened.

In medical institutions, when patients are admitted to hospitals, COVID-19 diagnostic testing costs will be covered by health insurance. This applies nationwide and is temporarily effective during the Level 2 social distancing period.

Source=Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters

Ban on gatherings and events of over 50 indoors and 100 outdoors remains effective
Special quarantine period designated for two weeks including Chuseok holidays

Although the Level 2.5 social distancing in the metropolitan area has been eased, Level 2 measures remain in effect, so private and public gatherings and events with more than 50 people indoors or 100 people outdoors are prohibited. The operation of 11 high-risk facilities such as clubs, karaoke rooms, and buffets remains banned.

Professional baseball, soccer, and other sports events must continue to be held without spectators, and closures and suspensions are still recommended for social welfare facilities and daycare centers. Suspension of indoor national and public facilities and measures to reduce school density will also continue. For churches, non-face-to-face worship is the principle, with specific measures to be decided through consultations between the government and religious communities.

The government plans to designate the two weeks from the 28th, when the Chuseok holiday begins, until the 11th of next month as a "special quarantine period" and strengthen quarantine management. Detailed plans will be decided based on the COVID-19 trend and situation changes.

Park Neung-hoo, the first vice head of the CDSCH (Minister of Health and Welfare), responded to concerns that lowering to Level 2 might be premature by saying, "The quarantine authorities have deliberated extensively and gathered opinions from all sectors. Our main consideration was that the sacrifices of self-employed people and the lower-income class under the current distancing measures are too great."

He added, "Especially as the situation stabilizes, emphasizing excessive sacrifices on some lower-income groups reduces the efficiency and acceptability of social distancing."

He also explained, "The advisory committee on daily quarantine mostly recommended easing excessive sacrifices and focusing precise quarantine on facilities with increasing risk. Overall, we lowered to Level 2 but strengthened quarantine measures more strictly for some facilities and areas."

Vice Head Park emphasized, "During Chuseok, we will set a special two-week quarantine period and prepare measures to strengthen quarantine for expected public movements and activities. We will announce these before Chuseok to gain public cooperation and support."

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