People Power Party Urges End to Excessive Social Distancing... Calls for Restaurants to Operate Until Midnight

COVID-19 Task Force Announces on the 4th 'Five Government Urgent Requests for Adjusting Social Distancing Measures in the Seoul Metropolitan Area'

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party (right), and Joo Ho-young, Floor Leader / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] The People Power Party has demanded that the government stop excessive social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan area and transition to sustainable quarantine measures.

The People Power Party's Special Committee on COVID-19 Measures announced on the 4th a "Five-Point Government Appeal to Adjust Social Distancing in the Seoul Metropolitan Area to Alleviate Public Suffering and Protect the Right to Livelihood," which includes changing restaurant operating hours to midnight and easing wedding guest limits to fewer than 100 people.

The COVID-19 Special Committee argued that while the ban on gatherings of five or more people in restaurants and cafes should be maintained, the operating hour restrictions, currently until 9 p.m., should be relaxed to midnight. However, this should be conditional on mandatory table distancing and installation of partitions.

They emphasized easing the limit on attendees at weddings and funerals from fewer than 50 to fewer than 100, and applying flexible measures based on indoor size and partition structures.

For essential events at religious facilities, they requested easing the current 10% limit on gathering size to 50%, while strictly enforcing mask-wearing, social distancing, and prohibiting meals. In performance halls and cinemas, they argued for lifting seat-spacing requirements and time restrictions, allowing up to 70% capacity, on the condition of mask-wearing and banning food and beverages.

Regarding the Lunar New Year holiday, they suggested that family gathering restrictions should be voluntary rather than mandatory, lowered to a recommendation level through campaigns.

The COVID-19 Special Committee explained, "As the COVID-19 crisis has lasted over a year, causing increased public suffering and threatening the survival of small business owners and self-employed individuals, we urge the government to correct the unreasonable excessive social distancing measures currently in place and to reasonably adjust the Lunar New Year measures."

They added, "Even if vaccination proceeds smoothly as planned by the government, rational adjustment of social distancing is essential for sustainable social distancing over the coming year until herd immunity is achieved, with the cooperation of the public."

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