[Report] "I Really Got Vaccinated" With Halloween Ahead, With Corona Faces 'Shaking'

Halloween Festival in Itaewon Ahead of 'With Corona'
Some Walk the Streets Smoking Closely Packed Without Masks
272 Caught Violating Quarantine Rules at Itaewon Clubs Ahead of 'Halloween Day'

The scene of the crowded streets of Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the evening of October 31st, Halloween Day. Under a banner that reads "Please wear masks for a safe Itaewon," young people in their 20s and 30s are gathered. Photo by Yoon Seulgi seul97@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] "Please wear a mask for a safe Itaewon!", "I got my second shot!", "I said I got vaccinated!"

On the 31st of last month, a day before the 'Phased Daily Recovery' (With Corona), Itaewon in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, was bustling with young people as if they had forgotten about COVID-19. The young people met in Itaewon that day unanimously said, "It's okay because we have completed vaccination."

At 8 p.m., countless young people continued to walk along Itaewon World Food Culture Street. Most of the bars in Itaewon were packed with people, and the streets felt so narrow that people had to squeeze past each other. Some citizens were repeatedly sharing their locations on their phones, seemingly separated from their acquaintances who came with them that day.

The sound of car horns and whistles from police officers directing safety filled the roads, but citizens ignored them and enjoyed Halloween by dancing and singing to the music coming from the shops. Except for the masks worn by citizens, Itaewon was so crowded that it was believable that life had returned to pre-COVID-19 times.

The reason citizens gathered in Itaewon despite concerns about mass COVID-19 infections seems to be the heightened expectations for daily recovery, as the vaccination rate for adults aged 18 and over reached about 87.6% as of the 31st.

A woman in her 20s, A, who said she came from Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, said, "I am not very afraid of COVID infection because I got the second vaccine shot." She added, "You can enter restaurants or bars after scanning the QR code, and people are wearing masks well. I think there is no problem as long as we follow the quarantine rules properly," and said, "I heard on the news that even if you get infected with COVID, it feels like having the flu."

Citizens enjoying Halloween Day at an open-air bar. Photo by Yoon Seulgi seul97@

The thoughts of another woman in her 30s, B, whom we met in another alley in Itaewon, were similar. Emphasizing that she had received the second vaccine shot, she said, "The proportion of young people who have completed vaccination is continuously increasing," and added, "Isn't the reason we got vaccinated to enjoy days like Halloween? Anyway, With Corona starts tomorrow, so I think it's okay."

However, in many places on the Itaewon streets where the Halloween festival was taking place, risk factors that could lead to mass infections were easily spotted. Most citizens followed personal quarantine rules such as wearing masks, but some people walked around the streets without wearing masks at all.

Also, as crowds gathered and people became densely packed on the streets, it was difficult to maintain quarantine rules such as social distancing. A man in his 40s whom we met in front of a bar in an Itaewon alley said he was not there to enjoy Halloween but "came to see how young people are having fun these days." He continued, "Regardless of vaccination, COVID is not over yet, but I am worried because there are many people on the streets smoking without masks."

Crowds filling the streets of Itaewon. Photo by Yoon Seulgi seul97@

In fact, Itaewon streets created a dangerous situation where people smoking without masks in front of bars and those trying to move around were mixed indiscriminately, raising concerns about infection.

Meanwhile, despite the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and other quarantine authorities' policy to put all efforts into quarantine for Halloween Day, many establishments nationwide were caught violating quarantine rules.

On the 31st, the police announced that 7 cases and 272 people were caught violating quarantine rules in Seoul alone on the 29th. In Itaewon, an establishment operating as a club despite being a general restaurant was caught operating past 10 p.m., and in Gangnam, an unauthorized club was caught violating gathering restriction guidelines.

In Incheon, 141 people were caught violating quarantine rules at 20 places including entertainment facilities and karaoke rooms on the 29th and 30th. Among them, five entertainment pubs and one holdem pub were found to have violated the COVID-19 gathering ban order by operating.

At an emotional pub in Seomyeon, Busan, on the 30th at 6:57 a.m., the establishment was caught holding a Halloween event with 237 customers, nearly twice the allowed capacity of 122. On the same day, two entertainment pub owners in Haeundae were booked on charges of violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.