"Step Down to Level 1, Into the Night Streets"…The Entertainment District Forgets About COVID-19

Easing of Social Distancing to Level 1
Reopening of Five Types of Entertainment Venues Including Clubs
No Empty Seats, Crowded Waiting Lines
Neither Cough Screens nor Masks Worn

Despite Facility Permits and Occupancy Limits
Quarantine Rules Not Followed
Even Staff Sometimes Without Masks

Around 1 a.m. on the 13th, at a hunting bar near Gangnam Station in Seoul. Most of the customers continued their conversations without wearing masks.

[Asia Economy Reporters Seungyoon Song and Jeongyun Lee] Around 1 a.m. on the 13th, a hunting pojangmacha near Gangnam Station in Seoul was bustling with people eager to enjoy their youth. Men and women attempting spontaneous encounters leaned close to each other as they talked. Due to the nature of their conversations, there was no place for masks between them. When a birthday song was played at some tables, loud cheers erupted. The 30-seat tables were almost fully occupied. Those who couldn’t get inside stood tightly packed in line outside the venue. It was even hard to find anyone wearing so-called 'cosk' or 'teoksuk' masks. Lee Mo (28), who visited the pojangmacha that day, said, "We haven’t been able to have fun for a while, so we’re just enjoying ourselves now."

The situation was similar at nearby clubs. Although only guests with reservations were admitted under the pretext of preventing the spread of COVID-19, once inside, more than 200 young people were dancing closely together. Those wearing masks were few enough to count on one hand, and there were no staff members requesting compliance with quarantine rules. The staff appeared more sensitive to media coverage than to COVID-19 prevention. A club official told guests, "Reporters are trying to film the crowd inside the club," and asked them to wait in an alley away from the entrance. On social networking services (SNS), 'proof shots' from visits to other clubs such as Hongdae, as well as Gangnam, were posted in succession. Photos and videos showed many people gathered inside clubs without masks.

Around 1 a.m. on the 13th, at a club near Gangnam Station in Seoul.

From the 12th, as social distancing was adjusted to Level 1, entertainment establishments such as clubs and danranjumeok (karaoke bars) resumed operations simultaneously. Five types of entertainment facilities?including hunting pojangmacha, clubs, entertainment bars, colatecs, and danranjumeok?were allowed to operate but had to limit the number of users to one person per 4㎡ of permitted or reported facility area. The government also required compliance with quarantine rules such as QR code verification and mask-wearing. However, these policies were not observed on site. There was no explanation of quarantine rules upon entry, nor encouragement to use hand sanitizer. It was easy to spot even staff members not wearing masks.

At the same time, the bustling area near Bupyeong Station in Incheon resembled a weekend night despite being a weekday. With entertainment venues closed for a while, touts who had been absent were now visible in many places. Emotional pubs, where patrons can drink at tables and dance on stage, were already crowded from early hours. Some places even installed monitors outside to show real-time footage of the interior for promotion. The monitors displayed young people filling the stage. Although the streets were lively for the first time in a while, the COVID-19 situation seemed like a 'story from another country' here as well. People walking around without masks were frequently seen.

A bustling area near Bupyeong Station in Incheon. Although it was a weekday, the foot traffic was as heavy as on weekends.

The area near Seoknam-dong in Seo-gu, Incheon, known for its concentration of karaoke rooms and danranjumeok, was also lively after a long time. An entertainment bar owner said, "If the staff wore masks while serving, would business even be possible when people come to drink happily?" and added, "Not only us, but most people do not wear masks inside the rooms."

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