"Everyone Will Starve... Gyms Protest Gathering Ban, Vow to Open Normally"

"From the Start, We Said Let's Keep It Short and Strong"
"I Don't Want to Listen to the Servants Anymore" Criticism Pours In on Government Quarantine Policy

O Seong-yeong, President of the National Health Club Directors Association, posted on his Instagram on the 4th / Photo by Instagram capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] As the gathering ban measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are extended, some indoor sports facility owners have started to protest. They intend to defy the business suspension orders and open their establishments as a form of protest.

On the 4th, Oh Seongyoung, president of the National Health Club Owners Association, wrote on his Instagram, "We will open normally while following quarantine rules," and urged, "All self-employed people in the metropolitan area who are currently prohibited from operating, let's all open normally."

He continued, "We owners work hard to earn money so that you (the government), the servants, can receive your salaries. This means we want to live a little more comfortably without worries," and criticized the government, saying, "Most of our people initially said to go short and intense with level 3 from the start, but what is this?"

He emphasized, "Even now, either go short and intense, or restore all self-employed people in the metropolitan area who have been banned from operating to normal," and added, "I no longer want to listen to the servants' words."

Mr. A, who operates a sports facility in Yongin City, announced that he would participate in a protest urging the normalization of indoor sports facility operations. / Photo by Instagram Capture

Some indoor sports facility owners appeared to sympathize with President Oh's appeal. Mr. A, who operates a health facility in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, also announced on Instagram that day, "We will start a relay 'open protest' to normalize the operation of indoor sports facilities," and declared that he would open his gym.

He appealed, "We no longer want to follow gathering restrictions that violate fairness," adding, "We are also citizens, heads of families, and responsible for the livelihoods of our employees. We want to break away from misguided policies."

Earlier, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters decided on the 2nd to extend the social distancing level 2.5 measures for two weeks until the 17th of this month. The level 2.5 measures, which originally started on December 8 last year and were scheduled to end on the 3rd, will have lasted a total of 41 days.

Representatives from the Korea Fitness Managers Association and the Health Gym Owners' Group held a press conference and shaved their heads in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 16th of last month. / Photo by Yonhap News

Under level 2.5, the operation of some sports facilities, including gyms, is completely prohibited.

As a result, voices of protest against the government erupted among some sports facility owners. The Korea Fitness Managers Association and the Health Club Managers Group demanded, "Please lift the restrictions on operations even partially," and held survival rights guarantee group head-shaving ceremonies in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 16th of last month and in front of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office on the 18th.

On the 30th of last month, 153 owners belonging to the Pilates & Fitness Business Association (PIBA) filed a lawsuit against the government claiming damages of 5 million KRW per person, totaling approximately 765 million KRW.

On the same day, they also posted a petition on the Blue House National Petition Board requesting "to operate indoor sports facility quarantine policies in a limited and flexible manner." As of the afternoon of the 4th, the petition had received over 170,000 endorsements.

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