Small Business Owners: "Quarantine Pass, a Typical Desk Administration... Responsibility Should Be Held to the Parties Involved"

Small Business Federation Holds Press Conference Opposing Quarantine Pass Application
(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Hwayoung = On the afternoon of the 9th, Oh Sehee, president of the Small Business Federation, announced the opposition to the application of the quarantine pass at a press conference held at the Small Business Federation in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. 2021.12.9
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[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] As the government expands the application of the 'quarantine pass' mainly to multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes, small business owners have voiced their opposition. Small business owners argue that the responsibility for the quarantine pass should be placed on the individual parties, not on small business owners and self-employed individuals.

On the 9th, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business held a press conference at their office in Yeouido, Seoul, expressing their opposition to the government's introduction of the quarantine pass. Earlier, on the 6th, the government reduced the allowed number of private gatherings to 6 in the metropolitan area and 8 in non-metropolitan areas, and expanded the quarantine pass application to 16 industries including restaurants, cafes, libraries, and academies. Oh Sehee, president of the Federation, stated, "We oppose the enforcement of the quarantine pass starting next week," and urged, "The government should withdraw the policy of shifting the responsibility for quarantine failures onto small business owners and self-employed individuals and prepare practical countermeasures."

President Oh pointed out, "Most of the industries newly subject to the expanded quarantine pass are small business sectors, which places a heavy burden on small business owners," adding, "Due to the small size of small business stores, verifying vaccine passes during work causes long waiting times and severe confusion on site." He further added, "Starting next week, the government will end the guidance period and begin enforcement, and those who fail to comply with the quarantine pass will face harsh penalties, including business suspension."

Vaccination Pass Applied to Private Academies as Well
(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim In-cheol = On the 7th, an employee at Jongno Academy Gangbuk Main Branch in Mapo-gu, Seoul, is posting a notice related to the vaccination pass.
The government announced that starting February next year, the vaccination pass will also apply to adolescents aged 12 to 18 using restaurants, cafes, private academies, libraries, and more, despite opposition from students and parents. This has sparked strong reactions among students and parents, who view it as discrimination against the unvaccinated, infringement on the right to learn, and de facto coercion to get vaccinated. December 7, 2021
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The Federation holds the position that government support is necessary in response to the expansion of the quarantine pass. President Oh said, "The policy should shift to hold the individuals who violate the quarantine pass accountable," and added, "If the government intends to maintain the quarantine pass, it must provide substantial support for small business owners, considering costs such as wages for quarantine managers, infrastructure establishment and maintenance for the quarantine pass, and business losses due to the quarantine pass."

Kim Gihong, chairman of the Federation's Emergency Compensation Committee, stated, "The requirement to designate managers for quarantine pass verification is difficult to accept in the field where sales have decreased over two years and there is no capacity to hire additional staff," and requested, "We ask for the removal of penalties related to the quarantine pass and a re-examination of the legislation."

Jo Jihyun, co-representative of the National Emergency Committee for the Self-Employed, said, "If policies like the quarantine pass, which are difficult to implement under current circumstances, are enforced, self-employed individuals will inevitably become frustrated," and added, "The government must prepare policies that can be practically implemented."