"Administrative Order to Ban Gatherings if 'Everyday Social Distancing' Guidelines Are Not Followed in Academies and PC Rooms"

E Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education (center), is delivering a speech at an emergency meeting on quarantine measures for multi-use facilities such as private academies held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 14th. From the left, Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul; Deputy Prime Minister Yoo; Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye held an emergency meeting on the 14th at the Government Seoul Office with Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon.

The Ministry of Education requested cooperation to ensure that instructors or staff at private academies who are identified as subjects for testing for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) can be tested as quickly as possible. They also discussed strengthening quarantine measures such as issuing administrative orders for facilities frequently used by students and conducting joint inspections.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Yoo said, "We painfully realize that we are still not safe from COVID-19," adding, "We have decided to actively respond through special consultations with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to prevent latent risks from manifesting as community infections that threaten the health of the public and students."

This meeting was urgently decided the previous night as secondary and tertiary infections spread due to a private academy instructor in Incheon who tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting the Itaewon clubs. Unlike schools that do not hold in-person classes due to online openings, most private academies resumed operations after transitioning to a daily quarantine system.

Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education (center), Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul (left), and Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, are attending an emergency meeting on quarantine measures for multi-use facilities such as private academies between the Ministry of Education, Seoul City, and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 14th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

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Mayor Park said, "Starting tomorrow, we plan to check compliance with social distancing guidelines mainly at English kindergartens (language academies for young children), SAT academies, and large academies in coordination with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and if guidelines are not followed, we will implement strong measures such as administrative orders to prohibit gatherings," adding, "Facilities frequently visited by students such as karaoke rooms and PC rooms will also face phased measures including quarantine compliance orders, administrative orders to prohibit gatherings, and legal actions if guidelines are violated."

Superintendent Cho said, "We will actively guide foreign instructors and academy staff to undergo COVID-19 testing," adding, "In cooperation with the Academy Federation and others, we will identify visitors to multi-use facilities and conduct proactive guidance and inspections."

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