'Social Distancing Lifted' Government Offers Half-Price Tickets for 4 Sports Including Baseball and Volleyball

Published 15 Apr.2022 10:17(KST)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] In line with the full lifting of social distancing measures for COVID-19 prevention, the government announced plans to provide half-price discount tickets for four professional sports categories?soccer, baseball, basketball, and volleyball?and support accommodation discount coupons worth up to 30,000 KRW.

On the 15th, the government held a policy review meeting and a price-related vice ministers’ meeting at the Government Seoul Office, chaired by Lee Eokwon, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, where this was announced.

Earlier that day, the government held a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and announced that social distancing would be fully lifted starting from the 18th. This marks 2 years and 1 month since the first introduction of quarantine rules in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis. Accordingly, there will be no restrictions on the number of private gatherings, and restaurants and cafes can operate 24 hours without business restrictions. However, the outdoor mask-wearing mandate will be extended for an additional two weeks.

The half-price discount tickets for sports will be supported with up to 7000 KRW per event, providing a total of 400,000 tickets until July this year. Accommodation fees will also be supported through the "Korea Accommodation Grand Sale" event. Linked with about 70,000 registered accommodation facilities nationwide, discount coupons will be provided until early June: 20,000 KRW for accommodations priced at 70,000 KRW or less, and 30,000 KRW for facilities exceeding 70,000 KRW.

Additionally, the government will promote a pilot project for the Korean-style green classification system this year. Participating institutions from sectors such as banks and corporations will be selected, and green bonds applying the green classification system will be pilot-issued throughout the year. Green bonds are bonds issued to raise funds for environmentally friendly projects such as carbon reduction. The government plans to double the proportion of support funds for the green sector among the total support funds of major policy financial institutions, including the Korea Development Bank, by 2030 compared to the end of 2019.

Vice Minister Lee stated, "Due to the Ukraine situation, supply chain disruptions, accelerated monetary policy shifts in major countries, and some lockdown measures in China, the domestic economy’s recovery in domestic demand is constrained and inflationary pressures are increasing. We will make every effort to stabilize people’s livelihoods through proactive price management and minimize the ripple effects of external risks on our economy."