"Seoul-style Coexistence Quarantine" City-Government Discussions to Begin in Earnest... Seoul City Delivers Draft

Draft incorporating industry feedback delivered... Specific measures seem missing
Jungsubon "Received draft, will arrange a session to explain parts needing clarification"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Discussions between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the central government regarding the ‘Seoul-style social distancing,’ a key issue raised by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon immediately after his inauguration, are expected to intensify. While the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) and other government bodies remain cautious about the Seoul-style quarantine measures abruptly announced by Mayor Oh, they are likely to develop more practical plans through consultations.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 26th, based on the analysis of opinions collected over the past two weeks from small business owners such as entertainment establishments under Mayor Oh’s directive, a draft of the ‘Seoul-style social distancing’ was submitted to the CDSCH on the 22nd. The draft emphasized the need for tailored quarantine guidelines by industry and business type, citing the limitations of the government’s ‘blanket’ business restriction measures.

A Seoul city official explained, “We have delivered the draft, which was derived by comprehensively listening to the field situation and the opinions of small business owners, to the government,” adding, “We expect to proceed with consultations with the CDSCH and others based on this draft.” Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Central Accident Response Headquarters, said, “We have received the draft related to Seoul-style social distancing from the Seoul city government,” and added, “There are parts of the draft that require further understanding, so we plan to arrange a session to receive explanations.”

The draft reportedly does not include specific details such as the plan to allow entertainment facilities like singing practice rooms to operate until midnight, as initially mentioned by Mayor Oh. This cautious stance is interpreted as a response to concerns that the daily 500 to 700 new COVID-19 cases could trigger a ‘fourth wave’ of infections.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has categorized entertainment facilities into three groups: ▲entertainment bars, danran bars, emotional bars, hunting pubs ▲colatecs ▲hold’em pubs, and subdivided restaurants into ▲general restaurants and cafes ▲pubs, considering different operating hours for each. For example, entertainment bars, danran bars, emotional bars, and hunting pubs would be allowed to operate from 5 p.m. to midnight, while hold’em pubs would be restricted from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Additionally, discussions are expected to continue regarding the ‘self-test kits’ that Mayor Oh has actively advocated for alongside the ‘Seoul-style social distancing.’ Recently, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety conditionally approved two self-test kit products capable of detecting COVID-19. Although the ministry still expresses concerns about the low reliability of these kits, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 23rd that it would proactively pilot these products.

Park Yu-mi, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Citizen Health Bureau, explained regarding the pilot introduction, “We are considering places with a high risk of cluster infections in three-dense environments,” adding, “We will prioritize facilities and associations with a strong willingness to participate where regular testing is feasible.”

While discussions between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the central government on the ‘Seoul-style cooperative quarantine’ will intensify, it is expected to take considerable time before the so-called Oh Se-hoon-style ‘COVID-19 response manual’ is applied on the ground. In particular, consultations with nearby local governments, including Seoul’s autonomous districts, Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon City, are also necessary.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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