Restaurants and Cafes in the Seoul Metropolitan Area: Operating Hours Restricted from 10 PM to 9 PM · 4-Person Gatherings Allowed for Fully Vaccinated... "Considering Both Quarantine Situation and Livelihood"

Strengthened Operation Restrictions for Level 4 Local Restaurants and Cafes
Only Takeout and Delivery Allowed After 9 PM

Gatherings of Up to 4 People Allowed from 6 to 9 PM Including Vaccinated Individuals
Contrasting Measures Implemented Simultaneously

Authorities Say "Considering Both Quarantine Situation and Small Business Livelihoods"

A notice saying "Absolutely no groups of 5 or more" is posted on the entrance door of a restaurant in Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As the social distancing level 4 applied in the Seoul metropolitan area is extended for another two weeks, small business owners struggling with the ban on private gatherings of three or more people after 6 p.m. have been given both carrot and stick measures. For restaurants and cafes in level 4 areas, the current operating hours allowed until 10 p.m. will be moved one hour earlier to 9 p.m., while allowing up to four customers after 6 p.m. only if they are fully vaccinated.

Lee Ki-il, the first controller of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, announced at the regular briefing on the 20th, "We have decided to extend the current social distancing level for two weeks from Monday, the 23rd, to Sunday, September 5th." The government assessed the current situation, noting that due to increased travel during the vacation season and the dominance of the highly transmissible Delta variant, citizens' fatigue from prolonged distancing is high, and acceptance is declining as mobility does not decrease.

Accordingly, the authorities announced strengthened quarantine measures in addition to the current system for level 4 areas including the Seoul metropolitan area, Busan, Daejeon, and Jeju. The controller explained, "In level 4 areas, restaurants and cafes can only offer takeout and delivery after 9 p.m.," adding, "This is a measure to reduce infections in restaurants and cafes."

This measure applies only to restaurants and cafes, excluding other multi-use facilities such as karaoke rooms, saunas, and academies. Regarding this, Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, said, "Among facilities where group infections frequently occur, restaurants and cafes account for about one-third, and due to the nature of the business, it is fundamentally impossible to keep masks on continuously," adding, "Considering the vulnerability in quarantine, we have taken the strengthened measure of shortening operating hours by one hour."

On the same day, the government also announced a 'painful measure.' The ban on private gatherings of four or more people after 6 p.m. in level 4 areas will be allowed only for gatherings including fully vaccinated individuals in restaurants and cafes. The controller explained, "This is the minimum measure considering the economic difficulties of restaurants and cafes and the effectiveness of vaccination." The four-person limit is based on the fact that gatherings of up to four people are allowed in level 3 and that in level 4, gatherings of up to four people are allowed only before 6 p.m.

The authorities expressed a reserved stance on allowing vaccine completion incentives for other industries. Son Young-rae said, "Given the current quarantine situation, it is not appropriate to send a message of easing quarantine by broadly expanding incentives," adding, "We will consider additional expansions based on the progress of quarantine and vaccination rates."

However, with the reduction in operating hours combined with the limited easing of private gatherings, self-employed business owners have expressed frustration. Mr. A, who runs a bar in Jung-gu, Seoul, said, "It's not like COVID-19 doesn't spread during the day, and the government, having failed to secure vaccines, is just shifting responsibility by blaming 'some citizens not following quarantine rules,'" expressing his anger. Mr. B, who runs a restaurant in Mapo-gu, lamented, "The vaccination completion rate is still in the 20% range, and this seems like a hidden intention to say 'wait until the vaccination rate goes up later, then it will be okay,'" adding, "It's no different from a shell game."

The controller explained, "There were many considerations regarding this," adding, "We took into account both the quarantine situation and the livelihoods of small business owners." As cases do not decrease but rather increase, requiring strengthened quarantine, the operating hours of restaurants and cafes were moved one hour earlier, and considering economic difficulties, gatherings of up to four fully vaccinated people after 6 p.m. were allowed.

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