"Why Are They So Desperate to Squeeze Only Wedding Ceremonies... Petition to the Blue House to Ease Social Distancing at Wedding Halls"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] As the fourth wave of COVID-19 has become a reality recently, the government announced the implementation of Level 4 social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan area. Amid this, a petition from engaged couples pleading for the relaxation of wedding guest restrictions has been posted on the Blue House National Petition board.

On the 8th, a post titled "What exactly did engaged couples do wrong? Please ease the social distancing rules at wedding venues" was uploaded on the Blue House National Petition board. The author, Mr. A, said, "We are not asking for much. If it’s just 100 people, we wouldn’t want more. Please withdraw these unreasonable policies."

Mr. A appealed, "There hasn’t even been a cluster infection at a wedding venue, so why are weddings being squeezed so tightly?" He added, "A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and many engaged couples are struggling to prepare amid uncertainty."

He continued, "We pay for meals for 200 to 250 people when we sign the contract, but the guest limit is set at 50, which is maddening. What’s even more frustrating is the issue of fairness. It’s not a problem for department stores to be crowded every weekend, so why is it a problem for people to gather at weddings?"

Finally, Mr. A said, "Weddings are not events like movies, performances, or sports games that happen daily, weekly, or monthly. Please don’t pour cold water on this one-time event." He added, "I sincerely ask for policy relaxation in consideration of the hardships of engaged couples. If not, I hope at least the minimum fairness will be upheld."

On the 8th, a post titled "What exactly did the engaged couple do wrong? Please ease the social distancing rules at wedding halls" was uploaded on the Blue House National Petition Board. [Photo by Blue House National Petition Board capture]

Complaints from engaged couples also continued on online communities. On communities where engaged couples gather, posts flooded in saying, "I was supposed to have my wedding at the end of this month, but I received a cancellation notice," "It’s a once-in-a-lifetime day that won’t come again," and "It’s a venue I secured through a difficult lottery a year ago, so postponing is hard; I don’t know what to do."

Earlier, the government announced that from the 12th, for two weeks, the social distancing level in the Seoul metropolitan area would be raised to Level 4. According to the new Level 4 social distancing rules, weddings can only have up to 49 attendees who are relatives. Relatives include blood relatives within the eighth degree, in-laws within the fourth degree, and spouses.

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