Starting Today, 'No Masks Outdoors'... But Must Wear Masks in Gatherings of 50 or More People

Even Outdoors, 'Mask Wearing' Required at Gatherings of 50+ People, Performances, and Sports Events
'Mask Wearing' Recommended if Maintaining 1m Distance Is Difficult

On the 15th, when the government decided to fully lift social distancing measures after 2 years and 1 month, office workers wearing masks were heading to work on Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] The government lifted the outdoor mask-wearing mandate starting today (the 2nd). People can take walks without masks in outdoor areas such as parks, but masks must still be worn in crowded venues like concerts and sports events, even if they are outdoors.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) on the 1st, from the 2nd onward, masks are only required indoors. In schools, masks can be removed during physical education classes held outdoors in class groups or at outdoor subway platforms where at least two sides are open, allowing continuous natural ventilation.

However, mask-wearing remains mandatory at gatherings, performances, and sports events with 50 or more people. This is because such events tend to be crowded, and droplets can easily spread through shouting or singing. Additionally, the government strongly recommends wearing masks in outdoor environments such as amusement parks or beaches if maintaining a distance of more than 1 meter between people is not possible.

Other cases where outdoor mask-wearing is strongly recommended include ▲when exhibiting suspected COVID-19 symptoms such as fever or cough ▲high-risk groups for COVID-19, including the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, those with chronic respiratory diseases, and the unvaccinated.

The indoor mask-wearing mandate remains in effect. Masks must be worn on transportation modes such as buses, taxis, trains, ships, airplanes, and other vehicles, as well as in buildings and all enclosed structures separated from the outside. Violations may result in fines as before.

Among indoor spaces, wearing a KF80 or higher-grade health mask is recommended when visiting 3Cs (closed, crowded, close-contact) facilities or infection-vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals and nursing homes. The government emphasized, "This relaxation of the outdoor mask mandate limits the places and situations where fines are imposed," adding, "Since mask-wearing outdoors is not completely eliminated, individual voluntary practice according to the situation is necessary."

Meanwhile, the government’s mask-wearing mandate began on October 13, 2020. As of the 2nd, the mask mandate is lifted after 566 days. With the recent clear decline in COVID-19 cases, the government accelerated the return to pre-COVID-19 daily life by lifting social distancing measures such as private gathering limits and business hour restrictions on the 18th of last month, followed by the removal of the outdoor mask mandate.

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