Citizens Seeking Other Places as Confirmed Cases Emerge from Entertainment Venues in Gwangju Sangmu District

Moved to Gwangsan-gu Cheomdan, Dong-gu Old City Hall, Dongmyeong-dong, etc... Concerns over 'Balloon Effect'

Autonomous Districts Urgently Need 'Guidance and Enforcement'... "Citizens' Awareness to Follow Quarantine Rules Also Necessary"

On the evening of the 19th, around 9 PM, Seogu Sangmu District, the largest entertainment district in Gwangju Metropolitan City, appeared unusually quiet. Since the 10th, COVID-19 cases have been reported mainly in entertainment establishments in the Sangmu District, raising concerns about a so-called balloon effect, where citizens flock to other entertainment areas within the region.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] # Jeong (38), a resident of Gwangju Metropolitan City, usually holds gatherings around the Sangmu District in Seo-gu. However, recently, he held meetings in Wolgye-dong, Gwangsan-gu (Cheomdan District). It had been over 10 years. Both meetings within a week were held there.

This change of venue was due to the occurrence of COVID-19 confirmed cases originating from entertainment establishments in the Sangmu District.

Jeong said, “Since it was a gathering that was hard to cancel, I decided to change the location to somewhere farther from Sangmu District and safer,” adding, “There is actually a movement of people flocking to other entertainment districts.”

Recently, as numerous COVID-19 cases have been confirmed centered around entertainment establishments in Gwangju’s Sangmu District, the number of citizens visiting this area, like Jeong, has sharply decreased. The atmosphere has shifted from just a decrease to outright avoidance.

Perhaps because of this, a so-called ‘balloon effect’ has materialized, with people dispersing to areas like Cheomdan in Gwangsan-gu, Dong-gu Gushicheong, and Dongmyeong-dong, where pubs are relatively concentrated.

At around 9 p.m. on the 20th in Sangmu District, Seo-gu, Gwangju.

Even considering that it was a Thursday evening and that it had rained heavily that morning, the quiet situation was clearly different from usual.

While the flashy signs of bars were no different from usual, it was difficult to find people on the streets.

Perhaps out of frustration, some business owners came outside their shops but, seeing the lack of people on the street, soon went back inside.

Mr. Lee, who has been running a small hof (beer pub) at the same spot for several years, said, “COVID-19 spread centered around entertainment establishments in Sangmu District last August, and although it seemed to revive briefly after calming down, it feels like we have returned to the situation from about two months ago,” expressing his frustration.

It’s not just the streets. Even famous bars that are usually resilient to economic downturns were empty. Although these places in the heart of Sangmu District’s entertainment area are usually bustling with customers, that was not the case that day.

Around 10 p.m. on the 19th, the Cheomdan District in Gwangsan-gu, one of the entertainment districts in Gwangju Metropolitan City, was crowded with citizens despite concerns about the spread of COVID-19. Since the 10th, COVID-19 cases have been reported mainly in entertainment establishments in the Sangmu District, raising concerns about a so-called balloon effect, where citizens flock to other entertainment districts in the area.

At a similar time, the Cheomdan District in Gwangsan-gu, another entertainment area, was somewhat different.

It wasn’t as crowded as before, but compared to Sangmu District, it was thriving.

There were relatively more customers seated in bars, and groups of three to five people chatting on the streets could be easily seen. COVID-19 seemed like a story from another world.

Compared to Sangmu District, which was hit hard by confirmed COVID-19 cases, the perception that other areas are safer is spreading, raising concerns that the respective district offices need to conduct more thorough and proactive inspections and enforcement of quarantine rules.

Mr. Lee (33) said, “In Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, social distancing level 2 was implemented nationwide for the first time, showing that COVID-19 is right at our doorstep,” adding, “This is not a story from another world. The district offices must frequently guide and inspect to raise citizens’ awareness of personal quarantine rule compliance.”

Regarding this, a health center official from a district office said, “We plan to conduct guidance and inspections related to mask-wearing in cooperation with relevant departments this weekend,” adding, “More importantly, voluntary compliance with quarantine rules by citizens in unseen places is urgently needed.”

Meanwhile, in the Gwangju area, since the 10th, 15 people have been confirmed with COVID-19 related to entertainment establishments in Sangmu District, and previously, 27 cases occurred in August.

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