[Report] "Expected a Semester Opening Boom" University District Businesses Still Sighing as New Semester Begins

Campus Bustles with Activity in First Week of Semester... Crowded with Students
"Inquiries About Off-Campus Housing Since Early Year... Monthly Rent Higher Than Last Year"
Orientation and Welcome Parties Reduced, Small Business Owners Still Struggling
Universities Fully Prepared with Thermometers, Hand Sanitizers, and PCR Testing Stations

At 12 PM on the 3rd, students are crossing the pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection in front of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunju Park phj0325@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] "Now it feels more like a college town," "This street is supposed to be bustling, but it's still quiet. Business is still not good."

At 11 a.m. on the 3rd, university campuses such as Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Kyung Hee University in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, were bustling with students coming and going. Universities in Seoul, which had continued remote classes to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, decided to switch to in-person classes this year.

Each university was fully prepared to prevent possible infection spread by placing thermometers and hand sanitizers in every building. However, since the vaccine pass (proof of vaccination or negative test) was temporarily suspended from the 1st, QR code scanning devices were not installed. In the case of Ewha Womans University, a COVID-19 PCR testing site called 'Ewha Safe Station' was set up on campus for convenient use by students and staff.

With the so-called in-person semester starting instead of remote university life such as online classes, students lined up to find off-campus housing. A landlord A renting one-room apartments near Dongduk Women's University in Seongbuk-gu said, "Last year, about half of the rooms were vacant, but now all the rooms are occupied."

B, a real estate agent in Gwangjin-gu, said, "Since each school announced in-person classes, inquiries about off-campus housing have continued since January. Good rooms near stations or newly built ones were all rented out from the beginning of the year," adding, "During the three years of COVID-19, off-campus housing was empty, but inquiries for brokerage piled up in January and February of this year." B also added, "Monthly rent has actually increased compared to last year. In the past two years, landlords had to lower rents because rooms were empty, but now prices have gone back up."

A building at Kyung Hee University in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, is equipped with a body temperature measurement device and hand sanitizer. Photo by Hyunju Park phj0325@

The college town commercial districts, which had collapsed during the three years of COVID-19, have regained vitality with the new semester. C, who runs a cafe near the main gate of Kyung Hee University, said, "(People coming to the hospital at Kyung Hee University) occasionally came, so it wasn't completely empty," but added, "Now that the semester has started, there are many students. It finally feels like a college town."

However, some self-employed business owners still sighed. Mr. Lee, in his 50s, who runs a snack bar near Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said, "In the fall last year (second semester), there were more in-person classes, so there were some students, but now that it's a new semester, I expect more freshmen to come," but expressed disappointment, saying, "This street is supposed to be bustling day and night when the semester starts, but it's relatively quiet compared to usual."

When asked if he could feel the 'semester opening boom,' Mr. Lee replied, "It's hard to expect that. Not all classes are in-person; only some are. It's about half and half between remote and in-person."

University student Jo (25) said, "When the semester started, we used to rent pubs for department or club opening parties, but these days, due to COVID-19, people refrain from that," adding, "(Moreover) everyone has gotten used to remote classes, so many want to go home quickly after in-person classes."

Meanwhile, as the Omicron variant rages, the number of new COVID-19 cases still approaches 200,000. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the 3rd, the number of new COVID-19 cases was 198,803, about 20,000 fewer than the previous day (219,241), which was the highest ever recorded.

Amid this, the government has expressed its intention to consider an early easing of current social distancing measures. This is seen as a judgment considering the characteristics of Omicron, which has a low severity rate, and the damage to self-employed businesses. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters held at the Government Seoul Office on the morning of the 2nd, "We will carefully analyze the current quarantine situation regarding social distancing and discuss the need for adjustment from the perspective of responding to Omicron," hinting at the possibility of adjusting distancing measures.

However, early easing has not yet been decided. Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, said at a briefing on the 3rd, "We are extensively collecting opinions through the Daily Recovery Support Committee, the subcommittee on quarantine and medical care, central ministries, and local governments," adding, "Decisions will be made afterward, so there is nothing to announce at this time. Since specific details have not been decided, the announcement timing is also undecided."

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