"Pole Dance is OK, Gym is NO"…Confusing 'Kogeori' Quarantine Guidelines That Caused Chaos

Academies and Private Institutes Limited to 9 People
Business Owners Stage 'Open Protest' Against Varied Indoor Sports Facility Gathering Bans

The government is causing confusion by continuing to ban gatherings at indoor sports facilities such as gyms, screen golf centers, and billiard halls to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), while allowing academies and private institutes to operate with up to nine students. On the afternoon of the 4th, students at a ballet academy in Seoul (photo above) attended class wearing masks. At the same time, a gym in Seongsan-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul (photo below) opened its doors with the lights on to participate in a protest against the business ban.
[Image source=Yonhap News] Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] A pole dance academy in the Seoul metropolitan area sent a text message online instructing existing members to resume classes from the 5th and to make reservations. Pole dance is a sport performed indoors by hanging vertically on a pole attached to the ceiling and floor, performing moves such as holding horizontally or spinning. Pole dance academies had been closed for about a month since the 8th of last month due to the prohibition of gatherings at multi-use facilities following the elevation of social distancing to level 2.5 in the metropolitan area. When the government extended the distancing measures for two weeks from the 4th to the 17th and issued new guidelines allowing academies and private institutes to operate if the number of students per session is limited to nine or fewer, they announced the reopening of their businesses.

As of midnight that day, the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Korea was 715, down by about 300 from 1,020 the previous day, returning to triple digits. However, cluster infections continue in high-risk facilities such as nursing hospitals and nursing homes. The cumulative death toll has also risen to 1,007, indicating that the impact of the third wave is ongoing.

In this situation, as some facilities that had suspended operations were allowed to reopen, other indoor sports facilities that remain under gathering bans expressed dissatisfaction. A trainer at a gym in Seoul said, "The government allowed academies to operate under the pretext of resolving childcare gaps during winter vacation, but most pole dance students are adults seeking weight loss or strength training," adding, "Although they are essentially the same category of indoor sports, gyms cannot open while other facilities classified as academies can operate, which is completely unacceptable."

Taekwondo Dojangs Open to 'Resolve Childcare Gaps'
Gyms and Screen Golf Centers Continue to Face Restrictions

The government's contradictory quarantine guidelines have sparked controversy. According to the new quarantine measures announced by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), indoor sports facilities such as gyms, screen golf centers, and billiard halls remain under gathering bans, but places classified as sports dojangs under the Physical Education Facilities Act, such as taekwondo and judo, may operate if the number of children and students up to the third year of high school does not exceed nine per session. Although this regulation includes an age limit, another guideline related to academies (excluding study rooms) and private institutes does not. Depending on the business classification, if registered as an academy or private institute under the local education office and the number of students per session is nine or fewer, they can operate for both students and adults.

About 300 gyms in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Busan protested by continuing to operate the day before, citing fairness issues with the government’s policy. They stated, "Even if local governments impose fines for violating guidelines, we will keep our doors open." Movements to join the protest are spreading mainly through gym-related communities.

The government and quarantine authorities maintain regulations including indoor sports facilities in the gathering ban after cluster infections occurred last year mainly in dance academies and table tennis halls. Lee Yong, a member of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee from the People Power Party, said, "There are repeated complaints such as why taekwondo dojangs are allowed but gyms are not, showing the limits of the haphazard quarantine measures," emphasizing, "We need principles and standards to maintain at least livelihoods, such as limiting the number of occupants per area, moving away from the concept of a total ban that forces unilateral sacrifice."

Son Young-rae, head of the CDSCH Strategic Planning Division, explained during an online briefing that "In November last year, there were seven cluster infections related to indoor sports facilities, resulting in 583 confirmed cases," adding, "Indoor sports facilities have characteristics of enclosed spaces where droplets are emitted, making comparison with academies difficult." He also said, "If intensive quarantine results appear over two weeks, we will allow operations rather than gathering bans, but in a way that prevents infections. We will seek opinions from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and gather field feedback for review," concluding, "Please endure for about 12 more days."

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