Starting Tomorrow, Additional Vaccine Incentives... Increased Wedding Guests Allowed, Soccer and Baseball Club Matches Permitted

Vaccination Completion Rate Surpasses 50%
Current Social Distancing Level Extended to Level 2

Up to 199 People for Weddings and 49 for First Birthday Parties in the Metropolitan Area
Referee and Staff Included in Participant Limits for Club Matches

On the morning of the 1st, a citizen is receiving the Moderna vaccine at Hongik Hospital in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Starting from the 4th, incentives for those who have completed COVID-19 vaccination will be increased. As the vaccination completion rate surpassed 50%, the number of participants allowed for events such as weddings, first birthday parties (doljanchi), and amateur sports matches, which had been effectively banned due to private gathering restrictions, will be significantly increased for vaccinated individuals only.

According to health authorities on the 3rd, the current social distancing levels?Level 4 in the metropolitan area and Level 3 in non-metropolitan areas?will be extended for two weeks from the 4th to the 17th. This measure considers the ongoing spread of COVID-19 after Chuseok, the designation of substitute holidays following National Foundation Day (October 3rd) and Hangul Day (October 9th), resulting in two consecutive three-day holidays, and other risk factors for infection control.

Although there were expectations that the maximum allowed gathering size in Level 4 areas would increase from 6 to 8 people?considering that during the Chuseok holiday, gatherings of up to 8 people including vaccinated family members were permitted for private family meetings in Level 4 areas?this increase was not included in the current extension. This appears to be due to the still high number of domestic infections in the metropolitan area.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, vaccination incentives will be significantly strengthened specifically for weddings, first birthday parties, and outdoor sports facilities, where business restrictions have effectively been imposed and caused controversy over fairness in infection control.

Currently, under Level 4, wedding attendance is limited to 49 people if meals are served and 99 people if not, which led some engaged couples to stage protests. The maximum number of attendees will be nearly doubled to 199. The incentive is applied by allowing vaccinated individuals to increase the attendance limit: up to 99 attendees if meals are served (including at least 50 vaccinated individuals), and up to 199 attendees if meals are not served (including at least 100 vaccinated individuals).

Even within a single wedding hall, if spaces such as halls are separated, the regulations apply per space, theoretically allowing unlimited wedding participation in Level 3 areas as the number of attendees per space increases. However, in Level 4, even if spaces are separated, the maximum attendance must not exceed 99 or 199 people respectively.

First birthday parties (doljanchi), which were practically impossible due to limits of 16 people in Level 3 and 4 people (2 people after 6 p.m.) in Level 4, will now allow gatherings of up to 49 people including vaccinated individuals. For the 49-person limit, at least 33 people in Level 3 and at least 45 people in Level 4 (47 people after 6 p.m.) must have completed vaccination and passed two weeks.

On the afternoon of the 1st, a vaccination completion verification table notice placed on a table at Seoul Florence Boramae Branch, a company specializing in first birthday parties and events. [Image source=Yonhap News]

With the government's change in infection control guidelines, outdoor amateur team sports such as early morning soccer and recreational baseball, which had been banned in Level 4 areas, will be allowed again. When the new social distancing levels were introduced in July, health authorities stated that games would be permitted regardless of private gathering limits, up to 1.5 times the minimum number of players per sport, but this was restricted again in Level 4 areas due to a resurgence in infections.

However, going forward, if the number of vaccinated individuals is added on top of the existing private gathering limits, games can be operated normally. For example, in baseball, where the standard is 27 players (9 per team multiplied by 1.5), if at least 23 players (25 after 6 p.m.) have completed vaccination, gatherings of up to 27 people are allowed. For soccer, up to 33 people can gather, provided that at least 29 (31 after 6 p.m.) are vaccinated.

However, it should be noted that operational personnel such as referees are included in these numbers in addition to team members. In soccer with a three-referee system, up to 30 players can be present, and in baseball with a two-umpire system, up to 25 players can be at the venue. Health authorities explained that since these numbers are based on essential personnel calculations for outdoor sports facilities, referees and operational staff are naturally included in the attendance limits.

On the other hand, golf caddies are not counted toward private gathering limits even if they accompany a group of four players. Authorities explained, "Workers at multi-use facilities are those conducting business activities at the facility," and "They differ from personnel mobilized as necessary for sports events."

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