Couples Choosing Trucks Instead of 'Wedding Cars'... "Venue Capacity Restrictions Should Be Eased"

Pre-married Couples Group to Hold 5-Day Non-Face-to-Face Truck Protest Starting 19th
National Newlywed Couples Association "Unreasonable Quarantine Guidelines Must Be Revised"
"Adjust Wedding Hall Capacity Limits"... National Petitions Also Follow

The National Newlywed Association, consisting of engaged and newlywed couples, held a vehicle protest in front of Seoul City Hall at 11 a.m. on the 19th. (Photo by National Newlywed Association)

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Engaged couples preparing for marriage have taken collective action, demanding that quarantine guidelines limiting the number of attendees at weddings be relaxed fairly.

The National Newlywed Association, composed of engaged and newlywed couples, held simultaneous vehicle protests in front of Seoul City Hall and the Ministry of Health and Welfare building in Sejong City starting at 11 a.m. on the 19th. The protests will continue for a total of five days until the 23rd. They are demanding △revision of the unreasonable restrictions on the number of wedding attendees △adjustment of the guaranteed number of attendees at wedding halls according to the number allowed under social distancing stages △resolution of issues related to wedding hall return gifts and cancellation fees.

The protests were conducted in a non-face-to-face manner without gathering people in one place. Trucks equipped with electronic signboards circulated near the protest sites to deliver messages. The protest truck signboards displayed messages such as “Revise the unreasonable regulations of the birth administration that do not understand the reality” and “Unreasonable attendee limits and wedding hall tyranny, engaged couples suffer twice.” About 300 members participated in the protest, and it is reported that vehicle rental fees were supported.

Under social distancing level 4, religious facilities can accommodate up to 99 people, concert halls up to 2,000 people, and supermarkets and department stores are practically open without limits. In contrast, wedding halls can only admit up to 49 people starting from social distancing level 3. Engaged couples stated, “Even if we try to postpone or cancel the wedding, cancellation fees exceeding several million won occur, and the Fair Trade Commission’s recommendations are ineffective, so newlyweds end up suffering alone,” adding, “If the number of attendees is limited, the government should also limit the minimum guaranteed number and establish reasonable guidelines.”

A representative of the National Newlywed Association, consisting of engaged and newlywed couples, is holding a solo protest in front of the Ministry of Health and Welfare building in Sejong City on the 19th. (Photo by National Newlywed Association)

They plan to continue collective actions such as vehicle protests or one-person protests until their demands are met. A representative of the association said, “We would like to all go out to the streets together, but for now, we decided to hold truck protests to convey our intentions while complying with quarantine rules,” adding, “We are not asking for much. We just want the regulations to be applied fairly, just like other facilities.”

Earlier, on the 6th, a petition requesting adjustment of the unreasonable attendee limits was posted on the Blue House’s public petition board. The petition titled “Is it okay if we hold weddings in concert halls?” had received over 10,000 signatures as of the 19th. Similar petitions with the same claims are also being posted one after another.

As social distancing level 4 continues for six weeks in the metropolitan area, self-employed groups that previously held vehicle protests in downtown Seoul are expected to raise their voices again. Press conferences and one-person protests by conservative groups are also continuing daily.

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