On the First Day of Social Distancing Level 1.5 Adjustment, Gwangju City Bustles with Activity After a Long Time

Lifting of Operating Hours Restrictions for Restaurants and Cafes... Citizens Enjoy Leisure While Following Quarantine Rules

Business Owners Say "Sales Are Not as Expected, But Relief Is Felt" and Hope for Normalized Operations Soon

On the 15th, around 10 p.m., Wolgye-dong in Gwangsan-gu, a representative entertainment district of Gwangju Metropolitan City, was bustling as social distancing measures were lowered to level 1.5.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters reporters Yoon Jamin and Lee Gwanwoo] On the evening of the 15th, the first day after social distancing was lowered to level 1.5, Gwangju Metropolitan City came alive after a long time.

The signs of bars in Gwangju’s representative entertainment districts were lit up for the first time in a while, and citizens enjoyed their freedom while also paying attention to personal quarantine rules.

Wolgye-dong, Gwangsan-gu, a representative entertainment district in Gwangju. Just the day before, restaurants closed at 10 p.m., making it seem like a dark city, but this day was different.

The six types of entertainment facilities (entertainment bars, colateks, danran bars, emotional bars, hunting pochas, and holdem pubs) were allowed to operate until 10 p.m. instead of being banned, and restaurants and cafes had all time restrictions lifted.

Perhaps because they could gather without being rushed by time for the first time in a while, smiles bloomed on faces and there was a sense of relaxation.

Kim Jeonghyun (44), who came out for a drink with a friend after a long time, said, “The fear of COVID-19 infection still exists, but it feels like we can breathe a little easier, so it’s good,” and smiled, saying, “If we follow personal quarantine rules, the self-employed people have to make a living too.”

A bar considered a local hot place was so full that it was hard to find an empty table.

Each table was spaced more than 1 meter apart, and small groups of 3 to 4 people were the majority.

Citizens did not forget to wear masks when moving around, such as going to the restroom, and they thoroughly adhered to personal quarantine rules by frequently using hand sanitizer placed at the entrance.

On the 15th at around 10 p.m., citizens gathered in the Sangmu district of Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, as social distancing measures were eased to level 1.5.

The atmosphere was also different in the bar street area of Sangmu District, Seo-gu, another representative entertainment district in the region.

Citizens complied with the ban on gatherings of five or more and each seemed to feel the long-awaited freedom.

After finishing their drinking gatherings, citizens all wore masks thoroughly as they left the establishments.

Business owners seemed happy just to be able to operate, even though business was not as good as expected.

One bar, perhaps wanting to announce the lifting of business restrictions, wrote by hand on a large sheet of paper, “We are open continuously~.”

A person operating a karaoke near the Kim Daejung Convention Center, Mr. A, said, “It’s the first day with no business hour restrictions, so even if there are no customers, it feels like we can breathe,” expressing hope that business normalization would happen soon.

Meanwhile, Gwangju City lowered social distancing to level 1.5 starting on the 15th. However, it plans to respond strongly by imposing fines for violations of quarantine guidelines and claiming compensation if confirmed cases occur.

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