"24-Hour Operation Declaration"... Angry Self-Employed Demand Lifting of Business Restrictions and 100% Compensation for Losses Again

Stores Nearly Half Full Even After 10 PM
Complaints Over Unequal Compensation Plan
Criticism of Public Authority for Not Enforcing Evictions: "Who Would Implement Such Absurd Quarantine Policies?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] “We declare 24-hour operation.” Around 20 self-employed individuals gathered in front of a raw fish restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul at 10 p.m. on the 25th, holding candles and shouting. They surrounded the restaurant and appealed to passing citizens about the difficulties faced by the self-employed. Self-employed people who had shaved their heads at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the 15th were also seen here and there. A self-employed participant, Mr. A, said, “I’m not interested in politics, but self-employed people have never been this hard,” adding, “Even if compensation for losses is provided, the current administration and ruling party are responsible for the damage to the self-employed this time.”

The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business Owners held a “24-hour Operation Enforcement Declaration Ceremony” in front of a raw fish restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the same day. Currently, restaurants cannot operate past 10 p.m. due to COVID-19 quarantine measures, but they intend to resist this. The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business Owners is an organization affiliated with the Korea Federation of Self-Employed Victims (KoJaChong).

At 10 p.m., customers poured out onto the street, but about 20 people remained in the raw fish restaurant, raising their glasses. Despite it being past 10 p.m., employees busily served food and cleaned trash from empty seats. Owners of other shops tidied up their stores while keeping their eyes on the raw fish restaurant that was still operating.

On the 25th, a raw fish restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul, continued operating past 10 p.m. / Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

The gathered group pointed out that the government’s compensation plan for self-employed losses causes discrimination. According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on the 23rd, the fourth-quarter loss compensation for small business owners last year is paid to small business owners and small enterprises under the Small and Medium Enterprise Act. However, in the lodging and restaurant industry, if the average sales before 2019 exceed 1 billion KRW, they are not classified as small enterprises and thus cannot receive compensation regardless of the extent of losses.

Mr. B, the owner of a raw fish restaurant that operated 24 hours, said, “Our sales exceeded the government’s required standard, so we did not receive a single penny of support,” adding, “Of course, public authority is intimidating, but I thought I had to say something, so I decided to enforce 24-hour operation.” According to the current Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, if a business violates quarantine rules such as operating restrictions, the business owner must pay a fine of up to 1.5 million KRW for the first violation and up to 3 million KRW for the second violation. Additionally, the business will be ordered to suspend operations for 10 days for the first violation and 20 days for the second.

On the 25th, at a raw fish restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the store was full of self-employed business owners who had finished the proclamation ceremony, even though it was past 11 p.m. / Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

Besides this, the self-employed demanded full compensation for losses and the abolition of operating hour restrictions. Min Sang-heon, co-representative of KoJaChong, said, “We must provide 100% compensation for the successful K-quarantine achieved through the blood and sweat of self-employed people,” adding, “The self-employed will definitely rise up and oppose the government that is implementing bad policies.”

Political circles also came to show support. Choi Seung-jae, a member of the People Power Party and former president of the Small Business Federation, said, “It is unreasonable that self-employed people who have cooperated with the national quarantine policy without major faults repeatedly suffer damage,” adding, “The state should protect them more, but since it has failed to do so, self-employed people have come out onto the streets.” He also stated, “I will create measures for the self-employed to survive in the future.” KoJaChong had previously declared support for Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party’s presidential candidate, in Yeouido, Seoul.

After the declaration ceremony, they all entered the raw fish restaurant and began dining. Despite it being past 11 p.m., the restaurant was bustling as if it were 6 p.m. After the ceremony ended, the self-employed raised their voices toward the police and district office staff who were withdrawing, saying, “We reported directly, so why are you withdrawing without enforcement?” and “Who is implementing such absurd quarantine measures?”

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