Naju City Requests Cooperation for 'Mandatory Mask Wearing'

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] Naju City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Kang In-gyu) has requested active cooperation from citizens regarding the government's revised social distancing (Level 1) guidelines mandating mask-wearing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

According to the city on the 18th, since the 13th, mask-wearing has been mandatory in designated facilities, and violators of quarantine rules will be fined, so special caution and cooperation are required.

Mandatory facilities include key and general management facilities, assembly and protest sites, public transportation, nursing facilities, day and night care centers, indoor sports stadiums, call centers, distribution logistics centers, medical institutions and pharmacies, religious facilities, etc., where masks must be worn when entering or staying.

Persons not wearing masks in these facilities will be fined up to 100,000 KRW regardless of the number of violations, while managers and operators will face fines of 1.5 million KRW for the first violation and 3 million KRW for the second violation.

Key management facilities include five types of entertainment establishments (entertainment bars, karaoke bars, emotional pubs, colatecs, hunting pochas), restaurants, cafes (general and rest food establishments, bakeries with business area over 150㎡), singing practice rooms, indoor standing concert halls, and direct sales promotion centers.

General management facilities include PC rooms, wedding and funeral halls, academies (including tutoring centers), vocational training institutions, performance halls, movie theaters, amusement parks, water parks, arcades (multi-rooms), bathhouses, hair and beauty salons, indoor sports facilities, stores, marts, department stores (comprehensive retail businesses over 300㎡ according to Korean Standard Industrial Classification), and reading rooms (study cafes).

Additionally, assembly and protest sites, indoor sports stadiums, public transportation, medical institutions and pharmacies, and vulnerable facilities such as nursing homes, day and night care centers, call centers, distribution logistics centers, gatherings and events of 500 or more people reported or coordinated with local governments, government offices, and other facilities also mandate mask-wearing regardless of social distancing levels.

Masks approved as ‘quasi-drugs’ by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, such as health masks (KF94, KF80), droplet-blocking masks (KF-AD), and surgical masks, are recommended.

Besides quasi-drug masks, cloth (cotton) masks and disposable masks are also acceptable, but they must fully cover the nose and mouth when worn.

Mesh or valve-type masks, scarves, collars, or other face coverings are subject to fines.

However, children under 14 years old, people with brain lesions or developmental disabilities who cannot wear masks without assistance, and those with medical opinions such as respiratory diseases are exempt from fines.

Exemptions also apply when face exposure is unavoidable, such as during eating, swimming, washing face, brushing teeth, medical examinations or surgeries, performances, sports games, weddings of both families, and identity verification.

A health official stated, “The mask-wearing mandate aims not simply to impose fines but to foster a social atmosphere encouraging voluntary compliance with quarantine rules,” adding, “Enforcement focuses on guidance rather than immediate punishment, and fines are imposed only when refusal occurs.”

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