[Breaking] Prime Minister Jeong: "If raised to level 3, about 2 million business establishments will face operational restrictions"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 18th regarding the plan to raise social distancing to Level 3, "Without public support and participation, social distancing itself is an empty measure, so a sufficient social consensus must be secured," adding, "We will prepare meticulously but make bold decisions at the necessary time."

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting held at Seoul City Hall on the same day to respond to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), Prime Minister Chung stated, "The average daily number of confirmed cases exceeded 900 in the past week, sparking intense social interest in whether to raise the nationwide level to 3."

He explained, "First, we are focusing all administrative efforts on enhancing social compliance, judging that properly practicing the current distancing level is the top priority," and added, "Since a swift decision to raise to Level 3 may be necessary depending on the situation, we are broadly collecting opinions from related ministries, local governments, and experts."

He emphasized, "If social distancing is raised to Level 3, about 2 million business establishments and facilities will be closed or have their operations restricted," and "A sufficient social consensus must also be secured."

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