[On-site Video] "Stop Fraudulent Quarantine" Self-Employed Hold Rally to Abolish Vaccine Pass and Business Restrictions

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, PD Yoon Jin-geun] "Stop the fraudulent quarantine!" , "All small business owners will die!"

On the 22nd, small business owners and self-employed people took collective action demanding the government withdraw the quarantine pass (vaccination certificate/negative test confirmation) and business restriction regulations introduced to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

On this day, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business and the National Emergency Committee of Self-Employed (Jadae-wi) held a 'Small Business Owners and Self-Employed Survival Rights Resolution Rally' at the Gwanghwamun Citizen Open Square in Seoul, raising their voices saying, "The quarantine authorities must listen to our voices and stop unilateral sacrifices."

About 300 self-employed people gathered in Gwanghwamun shouted slogans demanding the guarantee of survival rights for small business owners and self-employed, withdrawal of the quarantine pass, abolition of business hour restrictions for those fully vaccinated, direct support for small business owners and self-employed, and expansion of compensation for losses.

Jo Ji-hyun, co-representative of Jadae-wi, said, "Is running a business a crime in the Republic of Korea? Small business owners and self-employed are also citizens," and appealed, "The government should listen to our voices so that there will be no more sacrifices of self-employed and small business owners."

Another small business owner said, "Please reflect the opinions of us self-employed, lift the business hour restrictions, lift the capacity limits, and withdraw the vaccine pass," urging the government to revoke the quarantine pass policy.

On the 22nd, self-employed participants at the "Self-Employed General Rally" held at Gwanghwamun Citizen Open Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, urged the suspension of business restrictions and the quarantine pass system, as well as compensation for losses. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Angry cries continued. One self-employed person criticized the government, saying, "We have reached the limit now. There is nowhere else to go. Whether we die this way or that way!"

A self-employed person A (41), who said they attended the resolution rally from Busan, said, "I hope the business restrictions are resolved quickly," raising their voice, "They are unilaterally forcing sacrifices on tenants and self-employed people." They added, "I hope the quarantine policy is implemented in a more reasonable way that the majority can agree with."

On the 22nd, self-employed participants at the "Self-Employed General Rally" held at Gwanghwamun Citizen Open Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, urged the suspension of business restrictions and the quarantine pass measures, as well as compensation for losses. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

A self-employed person B (36), who said they run a food business in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, appealed, "I hope that small-scale self-employed people can follow quarantine rules inside their establishments, but that the time-based business restrictions are reconsidered."

Meanwhile, Jadae-wi delivered a protest letter containing the demands of self-employed and small business owners to the government after the resolution rally. Earlier, as the spread of COVID-19 intensified, the government resumed social distancing guidelines from the 18th, strengthening business hour restrictions and limiting private gatherings to four people.

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