Extended Social Distancing: What Has Been Eased and Strengthened?

Employees of Multi-use Facilities, Meeting Participants Not Included

On the 4th, citizens are commuting to work for the first time in the New Year of the Year of the Ox at Gwanghwamun Intersection, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The social distancing measures of level 2.5 in the metropolitan area and level 2 in non-metropolitan areas will be extended for two weeks from the 4th. Some guidelines have been relaxed compared to before, while others have been strengthened.

The key point of the measures applied by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters from midnight on this day until midnight on the 17th is the expansion of the 'ban on private gatherings of five or more people,' which was previously applied only in the metropolitan area, to the entire country.

Private gatherings include alumni meetings, clubs, picnics, workplace dinners, New Year's parties, financial meetings, first birthday parties, 60th birthday celebrations, and study groups. However, weddings, funerals, briefings, and public hearings are allowed with up to 49 people in the metropolitan area and up to 99 people in non-metropolitan areas.

The suspension of operation of convenience facilities within apartment complexes will also be expanded from the metropolitan area to nationwide. Cultural and educational classes at community centers are also prohibited.

Enclosed outdoor screen golf courses must close from this day, just like indoor screen golf courses, which are similar facilities. This is because there have been increasing cases of gatherings with eating and drinking at enclosed outdoor screen golf courses, raising concerns about a 'blind spot' in quarantine measures.

On the other hand, some measures for certain facilities have been relaxed. The most notable points are that limited operation of winter sports facilities is allowed and the reservation restriction criteria for accommodation facilities have been lowered.

All ski resorts, ice rinks, and sledding hills nationwide, which had been closed due to infection concerns, can open with up to one-third of their capacity. However, they must close after 9 p.m., and ancillary facilities such as restaurants, cafes, and arcades, except for changing rooms and equipment rental facilities, are still subject to gathering bans.

Accommodation facilities nationwide, including hotels, resorts, and guesthouses, were previously limited to reservations of up to half of the total rooms until the day before, but from this day, they can accept reservations up to two-thirds of the rooms.

In the metropolitan area, academies and private institutes can hold classes until 9 p.m. if the number of students attending at the same time is nine or fewer, considering the winter vacation care gap. Previously, operations were suspended except for tutoring for the 2021 university entrance exam, but now places like Taekwondo dojangs and ballet academies that children attend can also open.

At golf courses, caddies are excluded from the count of gathering members. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters defines private gatherings of five or more people as 'temporary gatherings or meeting activities where five or more people meet at the same time and place according to a prearranged schedule for private purposes such as socializing.'

Initially, the headquarters allowed up to four people including the caddy at golf courses, but considering that golf is usually played in groups of four excluding the caddy, caddies will not be counted as part of the gathering. For the same reason, employees of restaurants, fishing boat captains and crew, and other workers in multi-use facilities are excluded from the count of private gathering members during business activities.

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