'Ban on Gatherings of 5 or More' Extended for 2 Weeks... Up to 8 People Allowed for Immediate Family and Sanggyeonrye

Current Social Distancing Measures Extended Until the 28th
Level 2 in the Capital Area, Level 1.5 in Non-Capital Areas

An announcement regarding social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is installed at the entrance of the restroom at Mannam Square Rest Area on the Seoul-Gyeongbu Expressway heading toward Busan. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The current social distancing measures will be extended for another two weeks, maintaining key quarantine rules such as the ban on private gatherings of five or more people. With daily confirmed cases consistently in the 300 to 400 range and the third wave of infections not subsiding easily, concerns over the spread of variant viruses have led to a decision not to ease restrictions.

However, to alleviate public inconvenience, private gatherings will be allowed for direct family meetings and formal marriage introductions, with a maximum limit of eight people.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reported that as of midnight on the 12th, the total number of COVID-19 cases increased by 488 from the previous day to 94,686. Among the new cases, 467 were locally transmitted and 21 were imported.

The key criterion for adjusting the current social distancing level, the number of locally transmitted cases, has been recorded as 404 → 399 → 335 → 427 → 452 → 444 → 467 since the 6th, with a weekly daily average rising to 418. This exceeds the current level 2 in the metropolitan area and level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas, meeting the nationwide level 2.5 upgrade criteria of a weekly average of 400 to 500 cases or more, or a rapid doubling of cases.

The third wave, which saw daily cases surpass 1,000 at the end of last year, has become prolonged, maintaining daily new cases in the 300 to 400 range for several months, unlike the first and second waves. Especially with the new school term starting in March and spring approaching, there are concerns about a fourth wave if public vigilance relaxes, compounded by the spread of variant viruses, making quarantine efforts more challenging.

The government has decided to mostly maintain existing measures while easing some restrictions to reduce public inconvenience. The ban on private gatherings of five or more remains, but exceptions apply for direct family meetings and formal marriage introductions between families. Even then, the maximum number of participants is limited to eight. Children under six years old are exempt from the four-person limit.

On the other hand, considering the high infection risk in sleeping areas, bathhouse businesses in the metropolitan area will face a new operating curfew at 10 p.m. However, saunas and jjimjilbang (Korean sauna and spa facilities) may continue operating if quarantine rules such as social distancing are followed.

Meanwhile, to block the domestic entry of variant viruses, the government has extended the suspension of direct flights from the United Kingdom, which was scheduled to end the previous day, for an additional three weeks until the 1st of next month.

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