"1 Billion Won Annual Deficit, Open 24 Hours"...Cafe Declares Rejection of Government Quarantine Guidelines

"Some Branches Closing... Receiving No Compensation for Any Losses"

A notice stating the intention to continue normal 24-hour operations at the cafe in violation of government guidelines. / Photo by Instagram capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] A large cafe has sparked controversy by declaring that it will "operate normally 24 hours a day," defying the government's strengthened COVID-19 quarantine measures.

On the 21st, photos of a notice from a cafe have been spreading on various social networking services (SNS) such as Instagram and Twitter. The notice states, "This store will continue to operate normally 24 hours a day despite the government's operating hours restriction guidelines," and "We have decided to reject the government's current social distancing quarantine guidelines."

It goes on to say, "All 14 locations nationwide are directly managed stores, but the Seogwipo branch was closed last week," and "Although the accumulated deficit over the past year has exceeded 1 billion KRW, we have been operating with difficulty without receiving any compensation for losses. We ask for your generous understanding, forgiveness, and frequent patronage."

However, the cafe is reportedly willing to comply with other government COVID-19 quarantine guidelines such as the 'vaccine pass,' aside from the operating hours restriction. This cafe is a large chain with 14 directly managed branches in Gyeonggi-do and Incheon, operating 24 hours a day, year-round without holidays.

Some self-employed business owners appear to support this refusal to comply with the operating hours guidelines. Self-employed individuals who shared the notice responded with comments such as "As small business owners, we support the owner," and "We oppose government guidelines that shift responsibility onto self-employed people."

Among netizens, opinions are divided over the legitimacy of this action. Some comments include, "We are starving to death, so it can't be helped. I respect the owner's choice," and "We can't keep being dragged along forever," while critical comments such as "Who will take responsibility if confirmed cases arise?" and "What about other stores that follow quarantine rules well?" are also continuing.

Earlier, the government strengthened social distancing measures from the 18th until January 2nd of next year, limiting operating hours for restaurants and cafes to 9 p.m. It also restricted private gatherings nationwide to four people or fewer and allowed unvaccinated individuals to use restaurants and cafes only alone.

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