Authorities: "‘Corona Free’ for Vaccinated May Raise Discrimination Issues Against Unvaccinated"

Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The quarantine authorities expressed a cautious stance regarding proposals for a kind of 'corona free area' for people vaccinated against COVID-19, stating that it could lead to 'discrimination' against the unvaccinated.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team (Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), said at a regular briefing on the afternoon of the 30th in response to related questions, "Designating certain areas exclusively for vaccinated individuals could raise issues of discrimination against the unvaccinated," adding, "As vaccination progresses to some extent, we plan to consider additional measures."

Earlier, Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated at an outdoor meeting with cultural artists at Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, "We are proposing to the government to create 'corona free areas'."

The idea is to consider measures such as allowing restaurants to exceed the '4-person limit + α' for vaccinated individuals as an incentive, granting exceptions for performance venues, or using a 'Performer Corona Free Area Application.'

When asked whether the quarantine authorities are reviewing similar discussions, Director Jung mentioned, "We have already announced that after the first round of vaccinations targeting the elderly is completed in July, we will implement measures to support the daily life recovery of those fully vaccinated." He added, "For those fully vaccinated, exemptions from gathering limits in restaurants and partial application of such measures in multi-use facilities like performance venues may be considered."

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