[Initial Insight] To Minimize Controversy Over Vaccine Pass...

On the 26th, ahead of the transition to the "Step-by-step Daily Recovery (With Corona)" quarantine system, the streets of Myeongdong, Seoul, were bustling with citizens trying to have lunch. The government is considering lifting operating hour restrictions first for business facilities such as restaurants and cafes under the quarantine system to be implemented next month. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] "Why aren't Koreans coming?"

Last August, at a hotel in Grindelwald, a popular resort area in the Swiss Alps favored by Koreans for summer vacations abroad, the manager greeted the Korean reporter with delight and asked. Grindelwald, a mountain village in Interlaken, Bern canton in central Switzerland, is always bustling with Korean tourists due to its stunning scenery and its location on the way to Jungfraujoch. At the summit of Jungfraujoch, even Nongshim’s “Shin Ramyun” is sold.

However, this place could not escape the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel manager said, "About half of the guests here during the vacation season were Koreans, but now it has completely stopped. Why is that?" In August last year, Korea was heading toward the peak of the second wave of COVID-19. When told, "Overseas arrivals are required to quarantine for 14 days, so traveling is not easy," the manager was surprised and said, "I can't believe it. Do they really have to quarantine for 14 days?" He sincerely expressed, "I hope Koreans start traveling again soon."

After 651 days since the first COVID-19 patient was confirmed in Korea on January 20 last year, the first step toward restoring daily life begins. The government recently unveiled a draft plan for ‘gradual daily recovery (With COVID-19).’ The goal is to ease quarantine measures in three phases at six-week intervals until the end of January next year. According to the government’s plan, by Christmas in December, people can take off masks outdoors, and by Lunar New Year in February next year, the whole family might be able to travel abroad together.

Starting from the 1st of next month, the 10 PM operating hour restriction for restaurants and cafes will be lifted, and private gathering limits will be allowed up to 10 people regardless of vaccination status. The vaccine pass (proof of vaccination or negative test), already implemented overseas, will also be fully introduced. Not only high-risk facilities but also singing rooms, bathhouses, and indoor sports facilities will require submission of vaccination certificates or PCR (polymerase chain reaction) negative test results for use.

However, concerns are growing ahead of the vaccine pass introduction. Those aged 18 to 49 who recently completed their second dose or have not yet received the second dose according to the government’s vaccination schedule will need to undergo regular PCR tests to use daily facilities such as gyms and bathhouses starting next week. Due to the tight preparation period, local governments are also calling for more time to stabilize the system. The cost of testing is also a burden. Although the government plans to maintain free PCR testing for the time being, it is considering switching to paid tests for facility use if demand surges.

Conflicts remain ongoing in countries that introduced vaccine passes earlier. In Switzerland, a national referendum will be held on whether to keep the vaccine pass. Citizens opposing the vaccine pass have requested a referendum on the federal government’s quarantine policy, with voting scheduled for the 28th of next month. Jeong Eun-kyung, director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, emphasized, "We will proceed cautiously to ensure that unvaccinated people are not discriminated against or marginalized when applying the vaccine pass," but some inconvenience for the unvaccinated seems inevitable. The government will announce the final daily recovery implementation plan on the 29th. It is hoped that detailed policies reflecting voices from the field will minimize infringement of basic rights and discrimination controversies.

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