Secretly Operating After Closing Hours 'Entertainment Venues' and 'Pubs' Past 10 PM... Government Joint Inspection Uncovers 6,630 Cases in Two Months

8 Complaints, 1 Gathering Ban, 16 Fines, 44 Warnings, 6,561 On-site Corrections, etc. Measures
79 System Improvement Items Identified, 38 Rapid Reforms Implemented

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The government announced on the 17th that it detected 6,630 violations of quarantine rules and took measures such as prosecution, fines, and corrections as a result of joint inspections conducted over two months to check compliance with COVID-19 quarantine measures.

The Government Joint Quarantine Inspection Team, led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, disclosed the results of the ‘Government Joint Special Inspection of Quarantine Sites’ conducted from April 15 to this month’s 16th, focusing on securing the effectiveness of on-site quarantine implementation and minimizing the increase in confirmed cases. The inspection team took immediate action on 8 prosecutions, 1 closure order, 16 fines, 44 warnings, and 6,561 on-site corrections, while also conducting 3,198 quarantine guideline education and publicity efforts targeting business owners and others.

Looking into the cases of quarantine rule violations, there were confirmed instances such as entertainment establishments in the Seoul metropolitan area violating closure orders, use of shared items and food sales inside bathhouses, and restaurants and pubs operating after 10 p.m. or failing to keep visitor logs. In particular, at entertainment establishments subject to closure orders, violations such as secretly operating with doors locked were confirmed on-site, and the government strongly urged the relevant local governments to ensure strict punishment for business owners and users.

In the Seoul metropolitan area, restaurants and pubs were caught operating late into the night despite the policy to stop operations after 10 p.m., failing to keep visitor logs, not maintaining a 1-meter distance between tables, not installing partitions, and not following the one-seat gap rule. Especially in indoor sports facilities, construction sites, daycare centers, and religious facilities, many issues were pointed out, including not wearing masks, exceeding capacity limits, inadequate symptom management of workers, food consumption, use of shared items, and poor ventilation management. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety requested the relevant local governments to conduct continuous focused inspections to prevent cluster infections.

Additionally, while operating the Government Joint Quarantine Inspection Team, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety identified 79 cases of difficulties, suggestions from local governments and business owners, and necessary improvements to quarantine rules, and requested related ministries to review related system improvements.

In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare prepared the ‘Measures to Strengthen Quarantine Rule Compliance and Recommendations for Active Disposition’ and completed 15 tasks, including presenting guidelines for handling quarantine rule violations by local governments. Furthermore, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Environment, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, 23 necessary improvements to quarantine guidelines?such as incentive plans for local government officials and strengthening publicity on the harmfulness of disinfectants and proper disinfection methods?were implemented, including reflecting them in the social distancing reform plan.

Meanwhile, at the special quarantine inspection meeting held on the 7th, the need to strengthen inspections to secure on-site quarantine compliance in areas and facilities where many people gather during the vacation season was raised. Accordingly, inspections will be conducted by switching to a special planning inspection system for summer vacation spots and related facilities.

Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said, "This is an important time to practice quarantine rules to minimize the increase in confirmed cases along with safe and rapid vaccination to achieve herd immunity," and urged, "Related ministries and local governments should respond firmly to quarantine violations that threaten community safety, actively communicate with relevant facilities, industries, and local residents, promptly resolve difficulties, actively support voluntary quarantine efforts, and encourage compliance with quarantine rules on-site."

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