[Report] "Let's Drink a Little More" Gangnam Station at 9 PM 'Bright Night'... Concerns Over COVID-19 Spread

Business Hours Extended from 9 PM to 10 PM by '1 Hour', 20s and 30s Gather at Pubs
Pubs and Cafes Rejoice, Some Restaurants Empty, Small Business Owners' Fortunes Diverge
Concerns Over COVID-19 Resurgence... New Cases in the 600s

As it reached 10 PM on the 16th, Gangnam Station became crowded with people heading home after visiting nearby shops. Photo by Intern Reporter Choyoung Kim choyoung@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy reporters Seunggon Han and intern Choyoung Kim] Due to the one-hour extension of business hours from 9 PM to 10 PM, the 'Food Alley' near Gangnam Station in Seoul was bustling with young people in their 20s and 30s trying to enjoy this extra hour on the afternoon of the 16th. As a result, some voices have raised concerns about the spread of COVID-19. The government stated that it will review quarantine measures based on the trend of new confirmed cases. Additionally, the effects of the eased measures varied by industry.

◆ "One hour means a 1 million won difference in sales..." Pubs and cafes flooded with customers

Kim (38), who has been running a pub near Gangnam Station for two years, said when asked if there was a difference due to the easing of social distancing, "There was a significant difference," adding, "I don't know about neighborhood commercial areas, but here, where there is a lot of foot traffic, the difference is about 500,000 to 1,000,000 won per hour."

He explained, "When social distancing measures are eased, citizens think, 'Oh, it's loosened a bit. Things will get better now,' and they come out more than usual," adding, "The floating population around Gangnam Station increased significantly today."

The pub was crowded with customers who had not visited for a long time. New customers came in like a flood, and some groups had to wait outside due to lack of seats.

The pub, opened after a long time, was filled with customers. Photo by Choyoung Kim, intern reporter choyoung@asiae.co.kr

Cafes also showed a noticeable increase in customers compared to usual. A cafe manager who wished to remain anonymous said, "There are definitely more customers than before," and added, "Contrary to concerns, it seems the easing has had a positive effect." However, he also expressed, "There is a slight feeling of disappointment," and said, "I wish the operating hours could be extended a bit more."

Despite the late hour, cafes were filled with couples, friends, and customers studying. Park (23), a university student who came to study at a cafe, said, "This is a cafe I used to visit often, but I couldn't come for a while due to social distancing measures," adding, "I was excited to be able to study outside until late because the distancing was eased."

◆ "More about going to work than business" Empty academies, cinemas, karaoke rooms, restaurants, and PC bangs

Just before 10 PM that day, a large language academy was completely empty of students. Normally, students would pack up and leave around 10 PM when classes end, but despite the easing of distancing measures, no students were seen.

Hwang (65), a building manager of the academy, said, "I heard there were talks of restructuring even though it's a large academy," and added, "The academy uses floors 4 through 10 of the building, but sometimes classes were held with just one teacher and one student due to lack of students," explaining, "Most visitors to the building are patients visiting ophthalmology and plastic surgery clinics."

Hwang also recalled the bustling first floor of the building filled with students in the past. He said, "There are four elevators here, and when there were many students, the line of students extended outside the building onto the street."

He also expressed hope for the academy to be filled with students again. He said, "The number of students hasn't increased much due to the easing of distancing measures. However, many students passing by came in and took pamphlets," adding, "Interest from students still seems to be there." This suggests that while attending classes is still cautious, interest remains steady.

At the same time, the ticket booth inside CGV near Gangnam Station was also quiet. Most of the lights were off, making it difficult to even spot employees. This was a stark contrast to the previously bustling cinema. The nearby Megabox was in a similar situation. Despite the lifting of business hour restrictions, no customers were visiting, and the entrance was already closed.

A singing practice room near Gangnam Station. At the time of reporting, only one of the seven rooms had customers. Photo by intern reporter Choyoung Kim choyoung@asiae.co.kr

The karaoke rooms were no different. Kim Myungok (56), who has been running a karaoke room near Gangnam Station for eight years, said the extension of operating hours to 10 PM was "completely meaningless."

She lamented, "We opened at 11:30 AM, and now it's 8 PM, but we've only had three groups," adding, "Yesterday (the 15th), the first day of easing, there were even fewer customers." She continued, "Since restrictions on emotional pubs and hunting pochas were also eased, customers all went there, so karaoke rooms haven't changed," and said, "When there were restrictions on pubs, we still had customers, but not anymore."

Regarding the recent easing measures, she said, "I still think it's right to maintain the current social distancing level. It would be good if treatments and vaccines were perfect, but they aren't yet. Since customers are unspecified many people, I myself am at risk," adding, "Of course, we suffer business losses, but I think it's a part society has to bear."

A curry restaurant near Gangnam Station. Most of the tables were empty due to a lack of customers. Photo by Kim Choyoung, intern reporter choyoung@asiae.co.kr

Lee Sangjin (41), who has been running a curry restaurant near Gangnam Station for over 10 years, said, "Maybe because of the weather, but I haven't seen much effect yet." He added, "These days, delivery is helping a bit to keep the business going."

He said, "Sales have dropped by about 30 to 40 percent due to COVID-19," and explained, "Even though delivery has increased, the fees are high, so there isn't much left, making it difficult to overcome the sales slump."

As Lee said, the store was filled with empty tables. Despite it being dinner time, there were only two customers. Meanwhile, delivery drivers kept coming in and out of the store busily.

A PC bang near Gangnam Station. Despite the latest equipment, most seats were empty. Photo by Kim Choyoung, intern reporter choyoung@asiae.co.kr

PC bangs were also not crowded with customers. PC bang employee Chae Hyunjin (23) said, "The owner has often mentioned that customers have significantly decreased," and added, "During my shifts, I haven't felt that the number of customers has increased much."

Meanwhile, on the 17th, the number of new domestic COVID-19 cases rose to the 600s. Cluster infections continue, keeping the risk of resurgence alive. In particular, infections that started from family gatherings during the Lunar New Year holiday have spread to the local community.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight that day, there were 621 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, an increase of 164 from the previous day. There were 4 additional deaths, and the domestic average fatality rate was 1.81%. Regarding infection routes, 590 cases were locally transmitted, and 31 were imported. Among these, 247 cases were in Seoul, 147 in Gyeonggi, and 21 in Incheon, totaling 415 cases in the metropolitan area. New cases were reported in 16 cities and provinces nationwide.

The government plans to monitor the trend of new cases and consider re-strengthening quarantine measures. Son Youngrae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a regular briefing that "If the spread continues, there is room to consider strengthening the current measures again." He explained, "This includes reviewing the easing of operating hour restrictions from 9 PM to 10 PM at multi-use facilities, as well as possible adjustments to the distancing levels, depending on the trend of cases."

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