[Q&A] 수도권 2-step, Non-capital area 1.5-step... What Changes?

Ban on Private Gatherings of 5 or More, Exceptions for Immediate Family
Entertainment Venues Also Open... Restaurants in the Capital Area Open Until 10 PM

On the 10th, one day before the Lunar New Year holiday, a social distancing notice related to preventing the spread of COVID-19 was installed at the entrance of the restroom at the Mannam Square rest area on the Seoul-Gyeongbu Expressway heading toward Busan. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The government has lowered the social distancing levels effective from the 15th to Level 2 in the metropolitan area and Level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas. Additionally, for multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes, the operating hours in the metropolitan area have been extended by one hour from 9 PM to 10 PM. In non-metropolitan areas, operating hour restrictions have been completely lifted. In the metropolitan area, restrictions on operations for academies, movie theaters, and large marts have also been removed. The ban on private gatherings of five or more people remains in place. However, a notable exception has been made to broaden allowances for immediate family members.

Q. What are the exceptions to the ban on private gatherings of five or more people?

The government has decided to maintain the ban on private gatherings of five or more people to prevent daily infections through family and acquaintances' meetings. However, an exception has been added allowing gatherings of immediate family members even if the number exceeds four. Here, immediate family refers to direct ascendants and descendants such as grandparents, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, and grandchildren.

Accordingly, dining gatherings at restaurants are now allowed for immediate family members even if there are more than four people. Family gatherings or events such as ancestral rites are also permitted for immediate family members exceeding four people.

However, if even one acquaintance is included, the gathering is limited to a maximum of four people. For weddings and funerals, gatherings and event standards according to the social distancing level apply: up to 99 people in the metropolitan area and one person per 4㎡ in non-metropolitan areas. This also applies to weddings held at wedding halls or small weddings held at non-wedding hall venues.

Q. Are entertainment facilities reopening?

Entertainment facilities such as nightclubs, karaoke bars, emotional pubs, colatecs, hunting pubs, and holdem pubs nationwide have had their gathering bans lifted and are allowed to operate until 10 PM. Electronic entry logs must be mandatorily kept, including for entertainment workers. The number of people is limited to one per 8㎡ of facility area, and mask-wearing and other mandatory measures must be followed during singing.

However, unlike other multi-use facilities, entertainment workers are included in the 'five-person' limit for private gatherings.

Q. Until what time can restaurants and cafes be used?

In the metropolitan area, the operating hour restriction for multi-use facilities has been extended by one hour from 9 PM to 10 PM. At restaurants and cafes, consumption of food and beverages inside the premises is now allowed from 5 AM to 10 PM. However, if two or more people order only coffee, beverages, or light desserts, it is still strongly recommended to stay inside the premises for no longer than one hour.

In non-metropolitan areas, operating hour restrictions have been completely lifted, allowing use of premises even after 10 PM.

Due to the nationwide two-week extension of the ban on private gatherings of five or more people, groups of four or more are prohibited from dining together at restaurants or cafes. However, families living in the same residence, use of restaurants for weddings, and essential business activities for public officials and companies are allowed to have dining gatherings of four or more people.

Q. Is night skiing now allowed?

The suspension of operations after 9 PM at winter sports facilities has also been lifted. However, in the metropolitan area, the capacity is still limited to one-third, and shuttle bus operations between ski resorts and other regions are not allowed. In non-metropolitan areas, capacity is limited to 50%.

Auxiliary facilities such as changing rooms and arcades within ski resorts have had their gathering bans lifted and are now available for use. However, both operators and users must wear masks at all times, the number of users is limited to one per 8㎡ of facility area at the same time, and the allowed number of users at the same time must be posted at the entrance.

Restaurants and cafes within ski resorts in the metropolitan area can serve food and beverages inside until 10 PM, similar to other multi-use facilities, while non-metropolitan areas have no operating hour restrictions.

Q. Can shower rooms be used at fitness centers?

For indoor sports facilities, operations in the metropolitan area are suspended from 10 PM to 5 AM the next day, while non-metropolitan areas have no operating hour restrictions. However, the number of users at the same time is limited to one per 4㎡ of the entire facility area, including exercise spaces, shower rooms, and changing rooms. A distance of 2 meters must be maintained between users. Consumption of food other than water or non-alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

With the lifting of the ban on shower room operations in these facilities, shower rooms are now available for use. In particular, intense GX programs such as Zumba, Tae Bo, spinning, and aerobics can now be conducted.

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