Prime Minister Kim: "Gatherings of 8 Allowed in the Capital Area... Study Rooms Open Until Midnight" (Summary)

Opening Remarks at the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting on the 15th

Up to 8 People Gatherings Without Time Restrictions in the Metropolitan Area After 6 PM... 10 People in Non-Metropolitan Areas
Operation of Low-Risk Multi-Use Facilities Like Study Rooms Allowed Until Midnight
Up to 30% Admission of Vaccinated Individuals at Metropolitan Professional Baseball and Other Sports Events

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is delivering opening remarks at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 15th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced on the 15th, "Starting next week, in Level 4 areas (the Seoul metropolitan area), gatherings of up to 8 people will be allowed regardless of the time around 6 p.m., including 4 fully vaccinated individuals," and added, "In Level 3 areas, an additional 2 fully vaccinated people will be allowed, permitting gatherings of up to 10 people." Restrictions on operating hours for lower-risk multi-use facilities such as reading rooms, which had many demands for easing quarantine measures, will also be slightly relaxed. Outdoor sports games like professional baseball, which were held without spectators in the metropolitan area, will now allow up to 30% of total capacity for fully vaccinated individuals.

Prime Minister Kim chaired the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting at the Government Seoul Office that morning and said, "At today's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting, we decided on the social distancing adjustment measures to be applied from next week." He explained, "We need to observe the effects of the Hangul Day holiday and the remaining autumn foliage season, so it is still too early to be complacent, but the number of confirmed cases, which surged after the Chuseok holiday, has recently been gradually decreasing," and added, "It is expected that '70% of the entire population will be vaccinated' as early as next week."

Prime Minister Kim emphasized, "Accordingly, the government intends to partially adjust quarantine rules considering the changed circumstances to alleviate the difficulties faced by small business owners and self-employed people," and said, "In particular, we aim to ease quarantine rules centered on fully vaccinated individuals to reduce the risk of infection while moving one step closer to restoring daily life."

According to the government, the social distancing adjustment measures will be applied for two weeks starting next week. First, restrictions on the number of private gatherings will be eased. The main point is to allow gatherings of up to 8 people in the metropolitan area regardless of the time around 6 p.m., including 4 fully vaccinated individuals. In Level 3 areas outside the metropolitan area, an additional 2 fully vaccinated people will be allowed, permitting gatherings of up to 10 people.

The relaxed capacity standards, which had been applied only to restaurants and cafes until now, will be applied without discrimination to all multi-use facilities starting next week. Operating hour restrictions for relatively lower-risk multi-use facilities will also be eased. In particular, considering the situation of examinees preparing for the college entrance exam next month, facilities such as reading rooms and study cafes in Level 4 areas including the metropolitan area will be allowed to operate until midnight.

Industries and facilities judged to be able to manage infection risks stably will also have their quarantine standards lowered. For example, outdoor sports games like professional baseball, which were held without spectators in the metropolitan area, will now allow up to 30% of total capacity for fully vaccinated individuals. Detailed adjustment contents will be announced by the Central Accident Response Headquarters (CARH) immediately after today's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting.

Prime Minister Kim also mentioned the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU)'s general strike scheduled for October 20 during the meeting.

He said, "The KCTU has announced that it will proceed with a nationwide general strike next Wednesday," and stressed, "To take the first step toward phased daily recovery starting next month, it is more important than ever to manage the quarantine situation stably over the remaining two weeks. If the quarantine situation worsens due to a large-scale spread of infection, our community's journey toward daily recovery will inevitably be delayed."

Prime Minister Kim added, "The KCTU's general strike could be a dangerous act that betrays the expectations of the people who earnestly wish for daily recovery," and earnestly requested, "For the safety of our community, I sincerely ask the KCTU leadership to make the magnanimous decision to 'withdraw the general strike' even now."