Curfew Lifted for Late-Night Business... But When Will Frozen Sales Thaw?

First Day of Metropolitan Area's 'Social Distancing Level 2' Easing
PC Bangs Opened but Minors' Entry, Smoking, and Eating Prohibited in 'Partial Reopening'

As the quarantine authorities eased social distancing to Level 2, PC rooms are now allowed to operate, but eating, smoking, and entry of minors inside the premises are still restricted. The photo shows a PC room in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, which opened on the morning of the 14th. Photo by [Photographer's Name]

[Asia Economy Reporters Byungdon Yoo, Donghoon Jung, Jeongyun Lee] "After being closed for nearly a month, we've already lost 3 million won."

Mr. Park, the owner of a PC bang in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, was busy cleaning the interior around 9 a.m. on the 14th. The PC bang has been closed since the 19th of last month as it was classified as a high-risk facility. When asked how it felt to reopen after 27 days, he replied, "I'm more worried." "Smoking and eating, which are the main reasons people visit PC bangs, are still prohibited, and minors are still not allowed to enter, so I don't think the situation will improve anytime soon."

On that morning, a tour of 11 PC bangs in Seoul revealed that only three had resumed operations. Although it was early, it was difficult to find customers even in the open locations. A franchise PC bang near Dangsan Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, with a large space of over 330㎡ (100 pyeong), had only three customers that morning. Mr. Park, the operator of the Dangsan Station PC bang, said, "I'm just glad we could reopen." He added bitterly, "We suffered losses amounting to several million won, including rent, during the closure, but we have to try to recover from now on."

On the 14th, when social distancing measures, which had been strengthened due to the resurgence of COVID-19, were downgraded to Level 2, citizens were maintaining distance while using seats inside a franchise coffee shop in Seoul. Following the government's downgrade to Level 2 social distancing, franchise cafes, bakeries, and bingsu shops will be able to allow customers to sit and use the premises as before. General restaurants, rest stops, and bakeries, which were only allowed takeout and delivery after 9 p.m., will now be able to serve food inside the store regardless of the time. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

With the easing of social distancing level 2.5 in the metropolitan area starting that day, dining inside restaurants, large cafes, and convenience stores, which had been restricted, became possible again. However, large coffee shops were still quiet during the morning commute. At around 8:30 a.m., a franchise cafe in Yangpyeong-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, was visited; commuters were seen heading to the nearby subway station with a cup of coffee in hand. The seats on the second floor remained empty throughout the morning. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this place was bustling with students studying and office workers having coffee and light snacks on their way to work.

A franchise coffee shop near Gongdeok Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul, also saw office workers passing by during the morning commute, but the tables inside the store were empty. The fact that the easing of guidelines was not well known and the cautious attitude of citizens avoiding dining inside likely contributed to this. Office worker Hyejeong Seo (35) said, "I was worried that droplets might spread to the staff while ordering, so I placed my order through the app before visiting the store." An employee at the coffee shop said, "Once it becomes more widely known that we have resumed normal operations from today, I think customers will increase again." Office worker Jaeu Shin (41, female), who is working from home, said, "I felt frustrated working only from home, but now that I can at least go to a coffee shop, I feel relieved."

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