300-Day Forced Business Suspension Over 15 Months
Press Conference to Be Held at Cheongwadae... "Demanding Business Permission and Retroactive Compensation"
Officials from the Korea Entertainment Food Service Association are holding a press conference in front of the Democratic Party headquarters in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, urging the suspension of the ban on gatherings at entertainment bars. They stated, "We ask the political circles to listen to the pleas of entertainment business owners," and claimed, "Despite the government's measures lacking fairness, neither the quarantine authorities nor the political circles have tried to listen to our voices." Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] As the ban on gatherings at entertainment establishments for COVID-19 prevention continues, owners of entertainment bars in the Gyeonggi and Incheon areas have announced a protest demanding the lifting of business restrictions on the 10th.
The Korea Entertainment Food Industry Central Association announced on the 9th that about 160 members of entertainment bars belonging to 18 branches of the Gyeonggi branch and the Incheon branch plan to gather at 1 p.m. on the 10th in front of the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and march to the Blue House.
They plan to march in groups of nine according to quarantine guidelines and hold a press conference in front of the Blue House. At this event, the Central Association plans to demand the government and quarantine authorities lift the business restrictions and apply retroactive compensation for losses. They also added that they intend to deliver a petition containing the same content to the Blue House.
A Central Association official explained, "The Incheon branch will attend the protest wearing mourning clothes," adding, "The hardship of daily life is scarier than COVID-19, and since it feels like dying either way, they wear mourning clothes."
Some entertainment bars in Incheon are reportedly planning to continue business starting the evening of the 10th in defiance of the government's ban on gatherings. The quarantine authorities have extended the ban on gatherings at entertainment facilities until the 23rd.
According to the Central Association, the business ban period due to the spread of COVID-19 in entertainment establishments in the Incheon area has lasted nearly 300 days. In response, entertainment business owners held a rally in front of Incheon City Hall on the 6th and announced they would continue business starting on the 10th.
Meanwhile, Incheon City stated, "If business continues, we plan to take strong measures such as filing complaints for violating quarantine rules," but also said, "We plan to negotiate with the business owners on the morning of the 10th regarding the forced lifting of the gathering ban and compensation for damages."
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