'Early Morning Open' Gangnam After Club Visit
Crowds 'Packed' Social Distancing Lost
Spitting on Floor and Smoking Common... Close Contact Without Masks
Entrance Distributes Anti-Recording Stickers, Aware of Internal Situation
Worse Crowds Expected on Weekends
At around 6:30 a.m. on the 19th, a club in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is bustling with crowds. As social distancing measures in the metropolitan area have been eased to Level 2, most famous clubs in Seoul continue to operate in the form of 'after clubs.' /Photo by Song Seung-yoon kaav@
[Asia Economy Reporters Seungyoon Song and Jeongyun Lee] Amid thick cigarette smoke, about 100 men and women were wildly shaking their bodies. Intense laser lights poured onto the stage in sync with the music played by the DJ. Every time a popular song played, screams of excitement erupted throughout the club. It was hard to believe it was morning.
At around 6:30 a.m. on the 19th, a street in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, looked as usual with garbage trucks, sanitation workers, and citizens hurrying to work early. However, about 50 meters away, Club A was a completely different world. Young people gathered in groups of three to five and entered the club, making the area resemble a weekend night. At the club entrance, procedures such as ID checks, temperature screening, and QR code verification were conducted. Round stickers were attached to the phones of those entering. It was clear they were extremely cautious about the club’s internal situation being revealed.
While quarantine rules seemed to be followed at the entrance, inside the club was a COVID-19 no-go zone. The interior was packed with people around the DJ booth, leaving no room to step. There was no social distancing; it was impossible to move without shifting bodies here and there.
Many people were seen not wearing masks. Scenes of people lowering masks to smoke or spitting on the floor were frequently observed. Some did not wear masks at all, climbed on tables to drink, or engaged in close physical contact. Several security guards, known as “guards,” were stationed inside the club but did not intervene in these situations.
At around 6:30 a.m. on the 19th, a club in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is bustling with crowds. As social distancing measures in the metropolitan area have been eased to level 2, most famous clubs in Seoul continue to operate in the form of 'after clubs.' /Photo by Song Seung-yoon kaav@
Since social distancing was eased to level 2 in the metropolitan area and level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas from the 15th, about eight clubs in Seoul have resumed operations as of this day. Most popular clubs are expected to open additionally from this day through the weekend. Under the current metropolitan social distancing level 2, clubs are allowed to operate from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Due to the 10 p.m. closing time restriction, clubs found their own way to circumvent it. They changed their operating style to so-called “after clubs,” operating from 5 a.m., when restrictions lift, until noon. Some clubs start business early afternoon and remain open until 10 p.m., or split operations into two sessions, morning and afternoon.
While clubs have devised self-help measures, no place is properly following quarantine rules. Clubs are allowed to operate but dancing and moving between tables are prohibited, mask-wearing is mandatory, and only one person per 8 square meters is allowed. Additionally, indoor smoking is banned, and an electronic entry log system must be in place. Users must maintain a distance of at least 2 meters (minimum 1 meter) inside the facility. However, at Club A and five other clubs that opened in Seoul that morning, crowds gathered, rendering these quarantine rules ineffective. Since more people gather on weekends, such breaches in quarantine are expected to worsen.
A club official said, “The club also guides visitors to follow quarantine rules as much as possible, but it is impossible to control every situation. Due to the free-spirited nature of clubs, it is unrealistic to perfectly comply with quarantine rules while operating.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
