"Which Club in Busan Is the Hottest?"... Partygoers Flock from the Capital Area Seeking Nightlife

The scene of the entertainment district in Dujeong-dong, Cheonan-si, Chungnam at 10 p.m. on the 2nd [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] "Which club in Busan is the hottest?"

As the relaxation of quarantine rules in the metropolitan area was postponed by one week, just one day before implementation due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, concerns about the spread of infection are growing as more people are traveling to non-metropolitan areas, where quarantine rules have already been eased, for "expedition entertainment."

According to health authorities on the 3rd, non-metropolitan areas have applied the new Level 1 social distancing measures since the 1st. Twelve cities and provinces, excluding Chungnam and Jeju, allow private gatherings of up to 8 people until the 14th, after which there will be no limit on the number of people. However, Jeju restricts gatherings to 6 people for two weeks, and Chungnam has no restrictions on the number of people.

On the other hand, the metropolitan area was supposed to allow private gatherings of up to 6 people and lift the ban on entertainment establishments starting from the 1st, but due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, the easing measures have been postponed by one week.

As a result, cases of young people and office workers from the metropolitan area traveling to non-metropolitan areas for expedition entertainment have increased significantly. According to a report by Yonhap News, a female employee working at a bar in Dujung-dong, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, Chungnam's largest entertainment district, said, "More than half of our customers are from the metropolitan area, such as Suwon, and there are also quite a few customers from Seoul."

At this bar, young people in their 20s were sitting less than 1 meter apart, and all tables were fully occupied. There were even many customers waiting outside for a vacant seat.

The situation was the same at a Japanese-style pub in another building. The young people who left the bar moved to a nearby karaoke room to continue their entertainment. The karaoke owner said, "Not only on weekends but also on weekdays, nearby motel reservations are fully booked," adding, "All the customers are from the metropolitan area."

On online communities, posts asking questions such as "Which club in Busan is the hottest?" and "I'm going to Busan for a trip; are there any good atmosphere bars near Haeundae?" have been posted for expedition entertainment purposes.

On the night of the 2nd, citizens visiting an arcade in Mapo-gu, Seoul, are enjoying darts. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding this situation, concerns are being raised that the easing of quarantine measures in non-metropolitan areas might be fueling the regional spread of COVID-19 again. In fact, on the 2nd, just two days after the social distancing reform was implemented in Busan, a large number of new COVID-19 cases were reported, and it was revealed that infections occurred at several entertainment pubs visited by confirmed cases from other cities and provinces.

Experts pointed out that considering the recent surge in COVID-19 cases to the 800s for the first time in six months and the beginning of the spread of the Delta variant originating from India, it is still necessary to refrain from inter-regional movement.

Meanwhile, self-employed business owners in the metropolitan area expressed dissatisfaction and frustration over the new distancing measures being applied only to non-metropolitan areas. They complained, "People travel all over the country, coming and going, so what’s the point of restricting only the metropolitan area?", "We hired part-time workers in advance according to the new distancing rules, but now it’s difficult," and "The sudden postponement of distancing measures is a double blow to self-employed business owners."

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