"Anachronistic Decision" vs "They Are Also Citizens" Controversy Over 2 Million Won Support for Entertainment Establishments

4th Supplementary Budget Includes Colatec and Entertainment Bars, 2 Million Won Support
"Inhumane Decision Against Public Sentiment" vs "Entertainment Workers Are Also Citizens"
Ruling and Opposition Parties: "Entertainment Businesses Suffered Greatly Due to Quarantine Cooperation... Payment Before Chuseok"

On the 22nd, at the National Assembly, Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, are greeting each other after reaching an agreement on the 4th supplementary budget./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kang Joo-hee] The government’s decision to provide 2 million won in support to entertainment establishments such as nightclubs and colatecs that cooperated with COVID-19 quarantine measures in the 4th supplementary budget has sparked strong backlash from women’s organizations.

Women’s groups argue that entertainment businesses are "inhumane establishments that objectify women" and should not be supported with taxpayers’ money. However, some voices say that considering the severe damage suffered by entertainment workers due to COVID-19 restrictions such as business suspension orders, supporting them is a matter of fairness.

On the 22nd, the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party reached a final agreement on the 7.8 trillion won 4th supplementary budget to support COVID-19 victims. Notably, the ruling and opposition parties decided to provide 2 million won in the Small Business New Hope Fund to entertainment establishments such as nightclubs and colatecs, which were initially excluded from the support targets. This appears to take into account the losses such as decreased sales caused by the government’s quarantine measures that prevented these businesses from operating.

However, women’s organizations immediately opposed this decision. The Korean Women’s Associations United, a coalition of 19 women’s groups, issued a joint statement demanding, "The National Assembly must immediately withdraw the decision to support nightclubs, which are hotbeds of corrupt hospitality and gender discrimination and sexual exploitation."

The coalition criticized, "(Entertainment establishments) are gender-discriminatory and inhumane businesses that objectify women as entertainment workers under the pretext of business and hospitality," adding, "It is shameful and disgraceful for the National Assembly, which should be responsible for neglecting the corruption that routinely occurs in entertainment establishments, to be swayed by nightclubs during a national disaster."

They continued, "Is the National Assembly saying it will help them with taxpayers’ money despite failing to take responsibility for neglecting sexual exploitation damages occurring in entertainment establishments?" and urged, "The National Assembly must immediately withdraw this inhumane and outdated decision that does not align with public sentiment."

On the 14th, a press conference condemning the exclusion of entertainment bars from the second disaster relief fund was held in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Opposition also emerged within the political sphere. Kwon In-sook, a Democratic Party lawmaker and former president of the Korean Women’s Development Institute, wrote on her Facebook on the same day, "The decision to provide 2 million won in disaster relief funds to nightclubs in the 4th supplementary budget is likely to be controversial," and questioned, "Shouldn’t the bustling large city room salons, which had 6 million visitors over three months, be excluded from the support target?"

Earlier, according to the 'QR Code Management Status' submitted by People Power Party lawmaker Chu Kyung-ho on the 18th from the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, 5.91 million people used 38,000 entertainment and danran (karaoke) establishments nationwide during the three months (June 10 to September 10) after the electronic entry log system using QR codes was fully introduced.

In response, Rep. Kwon said, "At a time when organizational culture diagnosis, sexual violence prevention education, and gender sensitivity education are being emphasized in public organizations and private companies, the figure of 6 million visitors to room salons over three months undermines the proposition that organizational culture must change," adding, "In a situation where room salon hospitality culture is widespread, we cannot expect an equal organizational culture. It is time to prepare new realistic countermeasures."

However, some argue that since entertainment establishments have suffered business disruptions due to prolonged closure orders, supporting them is appropriate. There are also criticisms that excluding only entertainment establishments from support among high-risk facility industries is unfair. Previously, entertainment workers expressed that their livelihoods were threatened by the government’s closure orders and that the economic damage was severe.

One netizen said, "Entertainment establishments operate with government permission and pay taxes, so excluding them from support every time is obviously unfair," adding, "Entertainment workers are also citizens and, like other industries, have suffered damage, so it is only natural that they receive support."

The ruling and opposition parties explained that entertainment establishments have strictly followed quarantine guidelines so far and were included in the support targets because there is a possibility they might be uncooperative with future quarantine efforts.

Park Hong-geun, a Democratic Party lawmaker and secretary of the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Committee, and Chu Kyung-ho of the People Power Party announced the agreement on the 4th supplementary budget on the same day, saying, "This is not to encourage the entertainment industry," but "Since they suffered great damage due to strict cooperation with quarantine, and there were concerns that if we do not support those who cooperated, we might never be able to ask for cooperation again, after review, we decided to provide 2 million won each."

The government plans to convene an emergency fiscal management inspection meeting immediately after the temporary Cabinet meeting today (the 23rd) to finalize the payment plan for the support funds reflected in the 4th supplementary budget and aims to disburse the funds as much as possible before Chuseok.

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