[COVID-19 Year 1] Streets Lost Their Night Views... Only Despair That This Is Not the End Yet

On the First Day of Eased Quarantine Rules
Silence Prevails Around Itaewon-dong
Bright Nightlife in Hongdae Also Quiet

Convenience Store: "Fewer Than 10 Customers at Dawn"
Delivery Drivers: "Forced to Leave by 9 PM"
Threatened Beyond Livelihood to Survival

Around 8 p.m. on the 18th, a quiet stillness lingered in an alley in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Seungyoon Song kaav@

[Asia Economy Reporters Song Seung-yoon and Lee Jung-yoon] Around 8 p.m. on the 18th, the first day of the easing of COVID-19 quarantine rules, the Itaewon-dong area in Yongsan-gu, Seoul was enveloped in silence. The food alley stretching about 500 meters, lined with bars, clubs, and lounge bars, was as quiet as a mouse. During the 20 minutes spent there, only six people were encountered on the street. This area was once one of Seoul's major commercial districts, bustling even on weekdays to the point where there was no room to step. However, after the COVID-19 cluster infection incident in May last year, the current scene resembled a 'ghost town.' Most of the famous lounge bars, which used to require waiting over an hour even on weekdays to get in, have closed down.

Throughout Itaewon visited that day, banners with messages like 'For Rent' and 'Closed' were hung on nearly every other building. Banners with phrases such as 'We did everything as instructed. We can't take it anymore' and 'Itaewon has been witch-hunted' were also noticeable.

The one-year-long COVID-19 crisis has been like an endless dark tunnel for self-employed business owners. Their feelings have become volatile. There were times when they thought, "It will end soon." But as the first, second, and third waves continued, the faint hope turned into despair and is now plummeting into an abyss. Although vaccines and treatments have been developed, the tunnel remains pitch black.

Around 9 p.m. on the 18th, the central commercial area near Hongdae Entrance Station in Seoul was visited. Due to restrictions on the operation of restaurants and bars after 9 p.m., the streets appeared quiet.
Photo by Seungyoon Song kaav@

Hongdae, which used to be lively throughout the night, was no different. By 9 p.m., customers in restaurants and bars left like a receding tide, and within less than 30 minutes, the streets were empty. Shops began turning off their signs one by one, and the area suddenly looked as if a blackout had occurred.

Many industries indirectly affected by the collapse of commercial districts, though unrelated to quarantine measures, have also suffered. A nearby convenience store owner lamented, "Originally, customers came in all day long, but after COVID-19, fewer than 10 customers visit during the early morning hours over the past year." Shin (58), who has been working as a designated driver for three years, said, "Getting 2 to 3 calls a day is considered a lot now," adding, "Especially after 9 p.m., there are no customers at all, so I am forced to leave work early."

Industries still subject to gathering bans express even greater difficulties. Jin (47), who works in the entertainment industry, said, "Entertainment establishments have been unable to operate for almost a year," and added, "Despite this, fixed costs like taxes and rent must be paid every month, so we have no choice but to live on debt."

Statistics reflecting the hardships of self-employed business owners abound. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise Associations on 1,013 small business operators nationwide from October to November last year, 63.7% of respondents said their business environment had worsened. Although operating hours and days remained unchanged compared to before COVID-19 (2019), 7 out of 10 businesses reported decreased sales. The average sales decline was 37.4%, meaning they only achieved 62% of the previous year's sales. According to Korea Credit Data, which manages small business card payment information, nationwide small business sales in the last week of December 2020 (December 28, 2020 ? January 3, 2021) were only 66% of the same period the previous year.

Despite threats to survival beyond livelihood, options are limited. In the Micro Enterprise Association survey, two out of three businesses (67.6%) intended to continue operations, but a significant portion (31.7%) showed passive intentions toward closure (considering or planning to close). According to Statistics Korea's 2020 annual employment trends, the number of self-employed with employees decreased by 165,000 compared to the previous year, while self-employed without employees increased by about 90,000. This is interpreted as self-employed individuals laying off staff and working alone or with family, or closing their businesses.