Partial Opening of Beaches Including Haeundae and Songjeong in June... Discussions on Advance Reservation System

Discussion on Summer Beach Quarantine Measures by Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Related Agencies on the 20th

On the afternoon of the 5th, Children's Day, Busan Haeundae Beach was crowded with visitors who came to see the Haeundae Sand Exhibition and citizens who visited the sea in the early summer weather. The sand exhibition, which started on this day with the theme of "Sand, Jurassic World" to celebrate Children's Day, attracted a large crowd. (Image source=Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] As partial openings of Busan Haeundae and Songjeong beaches are planned for the 1st of next month, the government and related agencies have begun preparing quarantine measures. They will discuss practical measures such as the advance reservation system first implemented last year.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 19th that it will discuss COVID-19 quarantine measures for beaches with related agencies on the 20th. Last year, the government and local governments strictly followed detailed guidelines for social distancing at beaches, resulting in no reported cases of COVID-19 transmission. The Ministry judged that the multi-faceted quarantine policies, including beach congestion traffic lights and the advance reservation system, were highly effective.

This year, it is expected that more vacationers will visit than last year. There are also concerns about the resurgence of COVID-19 due to the spread of variant viruses in local communities. Accordingly, the Ministry plans to consult with local governments, the National Police Agency, the Coast Guard, and the Fire Agency on the applicability and improvements of practical measures such as visit history management and fever checks during this meeting.

In particular, since providing beach congestion information and the advance reservation system have been confirmed to be effective in dispersing visitors, they will seek more effective ways to operate these systems. As there is a need to supplement visitor registration and fever check systems, in-depth discussions will be held.

The Ministry plans to establish summer beach quarantine measures by the end of this month through the meeting and implement them in cooperation with local governments. Starting with an on-site inspection of quarantine preparations at Haeundae Beach on the 21st, they will prepare for the nationwide opening of beaches in July.

Kim Changgyun, Director of Marine Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "Based on last year's successful COVID-19 quarantine at beaches, we will prepare measures that allow the public to participate in quarantine more easily and comfortably this summer, ensuring safe use of the beaches."