Seoul City Plans to Allow Entertainment Bars and Hunting Pocha Operating Hours Until Midnight
Health Authorities Enforce Gathering Ban on Entertainment Facilities in the Capital Area and Busan Starting the 12th
Authorities Say "We Will Check Whether Rules Are Established According to Principles"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing for a plan to allow entertainment bars and hunting pochas to operate until midnight. This move aims to reduce the damage to self-employed business owners. However, with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) imposing a ban on gatherings at entertainment facilities in the metropolitan area and Busan starting from the 12th, it is questionable whether Seoul can independently decide to 'ease quarantine measures.'
According to Seoul city officials on the 11th, on the 10th, Seoul sent an official letter to the entertainment industry, including the Korea Entertainment Food Industry Central Association and the Korea Danran Bar Industry Central Association, requesting opinions on "classification by type of entertainment facilities and restaurants and customized quarantine guidelines."
The core of the letter was to diversify operating hours options: entertainment, danran, and emotional bars from 5 PM to midnight; hold'em pubs (bars where you can drink and play card games) and general pubs from 4 PM to 11 PM. For colatecs and general restaurants and cafes, the proposal was to close by 10 PM as before. Under current government guidelines, entertainment facilities are prohibited from operating inside the premises from 10 PM to 5 AM regardless of the type of business.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said at a real estate policy meeting held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido on the same day, "The framework for Seoul-style social distancing will be finalized next week," adding, "Using rapid diagnostic kits can reduce sales declines while increasing the efficiency of social distancing." Self-diagnostic kits that can confirm results within 30 minutes are used overseas in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. However, in Korea, no self-diagnostic kits have yet been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety due to concerns about accuracy. Mayor Oh plans to personally explain the new quarantine guidelines at the 'Seoul-style Social Distancing Manual' briefing scheduled for the 12th.
As COVID-19 cases increase nationwide, raising concerns about a 'fourth wave,' some point out that Seoul's independent actions could exacerbate confusion in quarantine measures.
Regarding this, quarantine authorities stated, "We will review whether it was established according to principles." Jung Eun-kyeong, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said in an online briefing in response to related questions, "If a specific proposal is received from Seoul city, we will review and consult with the Central Accident Response Headquarters regarding the overall facility- and industry-specific guidelines for social distancing," adding, "The reason authorities implement distancing measures is to minimize contact between people to prevent the spread of COVID-19, so it will be necessary to see whether Seoul city has prepared guidelines in line with distancing principles."
On the plan to allow some bars, such as hunting pochas, to operate until midnight, she said, "We have heard through the media that Seoul city is creating a customized distancing plan, but no changes have been prepared or consultations received yet." She continued, "For facilities to operate normally, business owners and users must strictly follow quarantine guidelines to prevent or minimize additional transmission through these facilities; if not, we will have no choice but to implement artificial measures such as increased sanctions or on-site inspections to protect our precious daily lives."
She added, "As seen in cases in Busan and Seoul's Gangnam district, it is difficult to wear masks in entertainment facilities, which are characterized by long stays in enclosed underground spaces, and illegal operations have also been clearly confirmed, so from the authorities' standpoint, it was unavoidable to impose a ban on gatherings at entertainment facilities." In fact, hundreds of people dancing at an illegal entertainment venue in Gangnam, Seoul, were caught in a mass crackdown. According to the police, the Suseo Police Station in Seoul raided an unauthorized club of about 264㎡ (80 pyeong) in Yeoksam-dong near Gangnam Station at 9:25 PM on the 10th, catching about 200 employees and customers dancing together, and booked the owner on charges of violating the Food Sanitation Act.
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