Starting Next Week, 'No Outdoor Masks' ... Removing Them After 566 Days

Masks Must Be Worn at Gatherings, Performances, and Sports Events
No Issue with Lifting After Omicron Peak in France, New Zealand, etc.
Current Government Pushes Ahead Despite Transition Team Opposition... Evaluation Left to New Administration

From the 2nd of next month, wearing masks outdoors will no longer be mandatory. However, mask-wearing will still be required at gatherings of 50 or more people where the risk of infection is high due to crowd density and shouting, such as assemblies, events, performances, and sports game viewings. For individuals showing COVID-19 symptoms or those in high-risk groups, and in situations where maintaining a distance of more than 1 meter is not possible in large crowds or where there is significant droplet generation, wearing masks outdoors is strongly recommended. On the 29th, the government held a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19 and announced these changes to the mask-wearing guidelines. On the morning of the same day, a citizen was seen walking in downtown Seoul holding a mask in their hand.
Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

As the government lifts the outdoor mask-wearing mandate starting from the 2nd of next month, most of the quarantine regulations that have been repeatedly tightened and relaxed over the past 2 years and 3 months since the spread of COVID-19 will be lifted. Despite opposition from the Presidential Transition Committee, the current administration pushed forward with the 'outdoor no-mask' policy within its term, leaving the impact and evaluation of the easing of quarantine measures entirely to the new government.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum explained on the 29th when announcing the lifting of the outdoor mask mandate, "We judged that we could no longer ignore the frustration and inconvenience of citizens who cannot take off their masks even when walking alone or during family outings." Above all, the government analyzed that the scale of the COVID-19 outbreak has clearly stabilized. As of midnight that day, the number of new COVID-19 cases was 50,568, continuing a decline for six consecutive weeks since the peak of 621,178 cases on the 17th of last month. It is the first time in 11 weeks since February 11th (53,916 cases) that new cases on a Friday have fallen to the 50,000 range.

Consideration was also given to other countries such as France, New Zealand, and Singapore, which lifted mask mandates shortly after or about a month after the Omicron peak, showing a downward trend without particular problems.

Prime Minister Kim said, "This lifting of the outdoor mask mandate was made after intense discussions within the government, taking into account expert analysis and global trends, and above all, it was a decision made trusting the mature quarantine awareness of the citizens who have cooperated with quarantine measures over the past two years." He added, "Although the outdoor mask mandate is lifted, we ask the public to voluntarily wear masks outdoors when necessary to prevent infection."

The outdoor mask mandate was first introduced on October 13, 2020. In April of last year, the current regulation was implemented, requiring masks indoors and outdoors if a 2-meter distance could not be maintained. Violations were subject to a fine of 100,000 won. However, with this government measure, the outdoor mask mandate will disappear after 566 days.

The Transition Committee expressed regret over the government's decision to lift the outdoor mask mandate, calling it "premature." At a briefing that morning, Deputy Spokesperson Hong Kyung-hee stated, "We have repeatedly emphasized that it is premature at this point," and "We express regret over the government's decision to lift the outdoor mask mandate." Questions were also raised about whether the government's decision was based on scientific quarantine principles. Deputy Spokesperson Hong pointed out, "We cannot help but ask what policy measures have been prepared in case of a resurgence or increase in confirmed cases following this decision."

Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo told reporters that day, "Since all adjustments and responsibilities regarding COVID-19 currently lie with the government, if the government has made a judgment, we must follow the decision for now," but added, "It would be good if cooperation goes well."

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