"Opposition to 'Student Quarantine Pass' Spreads... 200,000 Agree to 'Strongly Oppose' Blue House Petition"

On the morning of the 22nd, when full in-person attendance begins for kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools in the Seoul metropolitan area, students are attending school at Changwon Elementary School in Chang-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] There is ongoing backlash against the government's decision to expand the quarantine pass (vaccination proof or negative test confirmation) to adolescents aged 12 to 18 starting February next year.

The government decided to reduce the exemption scope for the quarantine pass and apply it to adolescents born between 2003 and 2009, who are currently in grades 6 of elementary school through 3 of high school, with an 8-week grace period. However, since the quarantine pass will be applied to spaces essential for learning such as academies, libraries, and study rooms, as well as restaurants, cafes, and performance venues, there is intense controversy over the coercion of vaccination.

A petition titled "Strongly Oppose the Vaccine Pass (also known as Quarantine Pass) Once Again," posted on the Blue House's public petition board on the 26th of last month, has gathered over 200,000 signatures as of the 5th, nine days later, meeting the government's official response requirement. Another petition titled "Please Do Not Force Vaccination on Children!" posted on the 3rd has received about 74,000 signatures as of 5 p.m. that day.

Posts opposing the adolescent quarantine pass are flooding online communities as well. There are also claims to file a constitutional complaint, arguing that the quarantine pass is unconstitutional.

Although the government set an 8-week grace period considering the low vaccination rate among adolescents, many argue that the application is too early. Considering the vaccination interval, the first dose should be administered within this month, but most middle and high schools hold final exams in December. Given the possibility of absenteeism and side effects after vaccination, it is argued that it is difficult to expect active vaccination among students during the final exam preparation period, which is directly linked to college entrance.

On the other hand, there are voices supporting vaccination. The Ministry of Education recently promoted the effectiveness of vaccination, stating that confirmed cases are decreasing among the high school senior age group with a high vaccination rate, while confirmed cases continue to rise among younger age groups with lower vaccination rates.