Na Kyung-won "Government's Adjustment of Quarantine Rules Welcomed... Disappointed by Business Hours Restrictions"

"Partial Reflection of Capacity per Area Principle... A Reasonable Proposal, Though Late"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Na Kyung-won, former floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party who declared her candidacy for the Seoul mayoral by-election, stated on the 16th, “The government’s announcement today on the adjustment of social distancing and quarantine rules partially reflected the 'capacity per area' principle that I have advocated as an alternative,” and added, “I welcome this.”

On the same day, Na posted on Facebook, “It is said that gyms, karaoke rooms, and academies will be allowed to operate until 9 p.m. under the condition of limiting the number of people to one per 8 square meters. I evaluate this as a positive improvement,” and continued, “Rather than being adopted solely because it was my suggestion, it seems the government has finally presented a reasonable plan because the voices and demands from the field were like this.”

Na also pointed out, “However, there are still regrets. The issue is the restriction on operating hours,” and explained, “In the case of gyms, if the capacity per area is applied, operating hours should be extended accordingly to disperse customers. For office workers, it is difficult for everyone to use the gym before 9 p.m. after finishing dinner post-work. There is a concern that people will crowd during a specific time from 8 to 9 p.m., and the capacity limit may only increase inconvenience for both gym operators and customers.”

Na further stated, “If you actually visit large supermarkets, you can see young couples who have finished work flocking in large numbers before the 9 p.m. closing time. The restriction on operating hours rather increases density, which can be seen as contrary to the purpose of social distancing,” and added, “Of course, there may be pains and complaints about applying differentiated regulations such as 9 p.m. here and 10 p.m. there. Nevertheless, I believe that focusing more on the essence of social distancing is ultimately the most effective way to achieve the goal of quarantine rules.”

Na concluded, “The war against COVID-19 will continue for some time. I think it is a great achievement and change just to gather various opinions and experiences to gradually establish quarantine rules that better fit the field,” and said, “I will continue to listen to the voices of citizens and steadily propose alternatives.”