"Hope is Visible but Not Yet"…Self-Employed Still Sigh Despite With Corona

"Sales Didn't Increase Much"
Some Even Say Sales Decreased
Self-Employed Face Difficulties in Hiring

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] "I don't think anything has changed significantly enough to feel it. When will things get better?"

Mr. Kim (70), who runs a barbecue restaurant near Gangnam Station in Seoul, responded this way when asked if anything had changed since the transition to With Corona. Compared to the height of social distancing, sales have only increased by about 10%. Although he did not expect a sudden recovery to pre-COVID-19 levels, he had hoped that sales would rise to some extent. However, customer visits to the store remain sparse. Staring continuously at the monitor showing sales figures, he said, "The obstacles that made operating difficult are gradually disappearing, so now I can see some hope," but added, "I am still struggling with high rent and labor costs."

From the 1st of this month, the first phase of the gradual return to normal life was implemented, allowing restaurants and cafes to operate without time restrictions. Also, the number of people allowed in private gatherings increased, so the number of customers that can be served at once also rose. However, self-employed business owners claim it is hard to feel the transition to With Corona. Even if there is an increase in sales, it is only slight and far from enough to recover the damage suffered during the COVID-19 period.

Self-employed individuals met near Jonggak Station also explained that sales have not improved significantly since With Corona. Mr. Jang Yong-jun (56), who runs a Chinese cuisine specialty restaurant, said, "Sales did not increase much just because business restrictions were lifted." He added, "Although the number of customers increased slightly with With Corona, the rising costs of ingredients and labor are of little help. We use about 80 items such as cooking oil and flour, and prices have risen for 70 of them."

Mr. Kim (44), who runs a beer pub near Jonggak Station, is in a similar situation. Despite the return to normal life, sales growth is sluggish, and rent has been overdue for several months. It is difficult even to hire one more employee, so he has to clean the store himself.

Some self-employed business owners say the situation has become more difficult after With Corona. Mr. Cha (44), who runs a billiard hall, said, "Many customers are over 50 years old, and with news of increased confirmed cases after With Corona, many are afraid of getting infected and do not come to play billiards." He added, "Also, since it is an indoor sports facility, a quarantine pass is required for entry, which has caused sales to drop by more than half." Previously, the government required presentation of a quarantine pass (vaccination certificate or negative test result) or documents proving exemption from the pass for some multi-use facilities, including indoor sports facilities, saunas, and bathhouses.

Self-employed business owners complain not only about the slight increase in sales but also about difficulties in hiring. With the removal of operating hour restrictions, they need to hire additional staff to serve more customers, but finding employees is as difficult as catching stars in the sky.

Ms. Jo Sun-ok (60), who runs a samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) restaurant near Euljiro 3-ga Station, said, "We need 2 to 3 additional employees including kitchen and hall staff, but we haven't found a single person." She added, "Even after contacting employment agencies yesterday and today, the only answers are 'There are no people' and 'Because Chinese workers have not come due to the impact of COVID-19, we cannot find workers.'" Especially for stores that must operate late at night, there is concern about having to close due to lack of staff. Mr. Kim (62), who runs a 24-hour budaejjigae (army stew) restaurant, said, "We need a woman to work alone at night, but even if we offer double the hourly wage, we cannot find anyone."

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