Year-end Sales Opportunity Lost... Small Business Owners Sigh

As the spread of COVID-19 intensifies, from the 18th, the number of people allowed in private gatherings nationwide will be limited to four, and operating hours for restaurants and cafes will be shortened to 9 p.m., strengthening quarantine measures.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum chaired an emergency Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on the 16th at the Government Seoul Office and announced the adjusted social distancing measures. Regarding this, Prime Minister Kim said, "We must suppress the spread as quickly as possible through strong social distancing to overcome this critical moment," emphasizing, "The most important thing is to reduce face-to-face contact and minimize the time spent without masks as much as possible."

This adjustment plan will be in effect for 16 days from 0:00 on the 18th until January 2 of next year, the end of the special quarantine period. The government will reassess the quarantine situation within the year to decide whether to extend the measures.

Self-employed people, who had been hoping for a year-end boom such as Christmas, have been hit hard once again. A restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, is quiet on this day.

The spread of COVID-19 and the strengthening of quarantine measures are deepening the worries of self-employed workers. On the 16th, an employee is wiping tables at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

A restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul is deserted due to a lack of customers. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Citizens are dining behind a mask-wearing notice sticker posted at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

A staff member is wiping a table while waiting for customers at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

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