[With Corona Countdown] Hearts Already With Corona... Bars Allow Groups, Pensions Fully Booked

Groups of 8 Already Gathering for Group Dinners
No Difference from Pre-Corona Times

Restaurant Capacity Limits "Don't Matter"
Weekend Pensions Also 'No Vacancies'

On the 26th, ahead of the transition to the phased daily recovery (With Corona) quarantine system, the streets of Myeongdong, Seoul, are bustling with citizens trying to have lunch. The government is considering lifting operating hour restrictions first for business facilities such as restaurants and cafes under the quarantine system to be implemented next month. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] On the evening of the 26th near Gangnam Station in Seoul, most restaurants and bars were hard to find empty seats. Some bars popular with young people were so crowded that there was a waiting line from the entrance. Inside the restaurants, it was even more congested. It was easy to see group dinners exceeding the current social distancing limit of 8 people, as well as tables seating 3 to 4 people. By 10 p.m., the nearby streets were packed with crowds pouring out, leaving no room to step. It was a scene not much different from before the COVID-19 pandemic.

With less than a week remaining until the ‘Phased Daily Recovery (With Corona)’ begins on the 29th, citizens’ expectations are growing. According to the draft roadmap for With Corona, starting from the first stage revision applied on the 1st of next month, all facilities except entertainment venues will be allowed to operate 24 hours. Private gatherings will be permitted nationwide for up to 10 people regardless of vaccination status. Events with fewer than 100 people will be allowed without conditions, and for 100 or more, a vaccine pass will be applied. In some regions, the atmosphere already feels as if With Corona has started.

When inquiring about group reservations at famous restaurants in Seoul, many responded that group reservations were possible regardless of the number of people. According to quarantine guidelines, the maximum number allowed to gather this week is 8 people (including 4 unvaccinated), and next week it will be 10 people, but restaurants seemed unconcerned. Restaurant owners responded by saying, "We will prepare a separate space downstairs for group dinners," or "There is no problem if tables are seated separately."

Entertainment facilities such as clubs, which had suspended operations due to gathering bans, are also preparing to resume operations. Even after With Corona begins, these facilities can only operate until midnight. However, with reopening scheduled right after Halloween Day, considered a ‘peak season,’ preparations to welcome customers are in full swing. A club near Gangnam Station plans to auction tables starting at 300,000 KRW per table on the first day of reopening, the 1st of next month. They also inform that admission is possible without capacity limits as long as vaccination or PCR (polymerase chain reaction) negative test certificates are verified.

Not only the metropolitan area but also tourist destinations nationwide are filled with anticipation for daily recovery. Due to varying social distancing levels by region, a ‘balloon effect’ where tourists flocked to certain areas was identified as a problem, but it is expected that such side effects will disappear after the introduction of With Corona. Checking the reservation status of major tourist pensions nationwide, in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, 104 out of 275 pensions were fully booked for this weekend. In Gangneung-si, Gangwon Province, 45 out of 59 pensions, and in Sokcho-si, 9 out of 13 pensions were fully booked.