'First Day of Social Distancing Level 1' Buffet and Hagwon in Distress... Entertainment and Gyms Breathe Easier

Mixed Fortunes by Industry
Difficult to Recover Even After Reopening
Closures Reported at Korean Buffet Restaurants
Vacancies Appear Throughout Noryangjin Academy District

On the 12th, when social distancing was eased to Level 1, examinees were attending classes at Jongno Academy Gangnam Main Branch in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where large academies resumed operations. With the easing measures implemented from this day, 'high-risk facilities' such as entertainment bars, karaoke rooms, large academies, and buffet restaurants in the metropolitan area, which had been restricted from operating, reopened. However, in the metropolitan area, gatherings and events with more than 50 people indoors or 100 people outdoors are still discouraged, and some facilities are required to comply with core quarantine rules, maintaining measures equivalent to Level 2 in part. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporters Song Seung-yoon, Jung Dong-hoon, Lee Jung-yoon] "Buffets are practically impossible to reopen unless operated by the building owner." Kim Young-soo (57), who runs a Korean buffet in Songdo, Incheon, filed for closure on August 31. After six months of unpaid rent and a suspension of operations due to strengthened social distancing measures, he decided to shut down completely. The five employees, who were barely paid with government employment retention subsidies, also became unemployed. Kim explained the reason for closure, saying, "Even if I reopen the buffet restaurant, it will take 1 to 2 years for reservations to normalize. Even if I resume operations immediately, it is difficult to pay rent, let alone employee salaries."

From the 12th, as 'social distancing' was eased to Level 1, businesses such as entertainment bars, gyms, large academies with over 300 students, and buffet restaurants were allowed to operate, but reactions varied by industry. Buffet restaurants and academies responded that "it has already become difficult to recover" despite the easing of measures, while entertainment bars and gyms, popular among younger people, showed signs of optimism.

At 8 a.m. that day, the academy district in Noryangjin, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was still filled with empty classrooms. It remains uncertain whether students will return even if operations resume. Many students have already turned to online lectures. There is also a prevailing perception that academy classrooms are vulnerable to infections. A Noryangjin academy official said, "With the completion of written exams for public officials, police officers, and firefighters, the number of students is expected to decrease further in winter." Kim Sung-in (31), preparing for the Grade 9 civil service exam, said, "Many students have already moved their study spaces to their hometowns or local study rooms. Given the nature of Noryangjin academies, where lectures are held in small spaces and students study together in study rooms, everyone seems to see a high risk of infection."

On the 12th, when social distancing was lowered to level 1, customers at a health club in Jung-gu, Seoul, were exercising while wearing masks. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

At around 12:10 a.m. that day, the nightlife area near Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, was bustling with young people in their 20s enjoying the late night. About 30 people, mostly in their 20s, lined up in front of a famous club near Hongdae Entrance Station, waiting to enter. Gyms were also preparing to resume GX (group exercise) classes that morning. A gym official in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, said, "We will strictly follow quarantine rules and resume classes." An official at a gym in Songpa-gu also said, "We plan to restart GX classes from today."

Public institutions and private companies are also expected to partially adjust their work-from-home arrangements. Samsung Electronics, which has been piloting voluntary remote work since last month, plans to maintain current measures until the 16th and then decide whether to extend or end them. Hyundai Motor Group, which has allowed voluntary remote work only for some office departments at headquarters, is expected to return to normal commuting. However, remote work policies are likely to continue for employees with underlying health conditions or pregnant women. LG Electronics plans to continue applying quarantine rules equivalent to Level 2 distancing while adjusting the proportion of remote workers across all business sites to over 30%.

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