"Isn't This Forced Vaccination!" Mandatory 'Vaccine Pass' for Restaurants and Cafes... Unvaccinated People Express Frustration

Unvaccinated People Barred from Group Visits to Restaurants and Cafes... Unvaccinated Individuals Face De Facto 'Vaccination Mandate'
"Increase in Vaccine Side Effects" Elementary Students Also Oppose 'Quarantine Pass'
"Opposition to Youth Vaccine Pass"... Youth and Parents Rally

Notice on Quarantine Pass. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "We oppose the vaccine pass!", "We oppose mandatory vaccination!"

As the government prepares to introduce the vaccine pass, opposition is spreading among unvaccinated individuals, teenagers, and parents. There are criticisms that this is essentially a 'mandatory vaccination' policy. While the government emphasizes it as a measure to prevent infection and curb the spread of COVID-19, even elementary school students are voicing their opposition to the vaccine pass.

According to health authorities, starting from midnight on the 13th, anyone without a vaccine completion certificate or a negative PCR test result (within 48 hours) who is caught using major multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes in groups of two or more will be fined. Both business owners and users are subject to fines. Additionally, the government will operate a 'focused support week' for COVID-19 vaccination among teenagers starting that day. From February 2022, the policy will apply to those aged 12 to 18, following adults.

Given this situation, some strongly criticize the government for effectively 'forcing vaccination.' Kim, a man in his 30s who has not yet been vaccinated, said, "Expanding the vaccine pass is pressure on the unvaccinated," adding, "I don't understand why this is happening when I don't get vaccinated for personal reasons such as vaccine side effects."

Another office worker in his 20s, Park, pointed out, "There are many petitions on the Blue House's public petition site complaining about side effects, so shouldn't there be some measures addressing this?" He continued, "Will pressuring unvaccinated people like this lead to any solution?" expressing frustration.

On the 12th, a student is entering after showing a vaccination certificate at the entrance of the Central Library of Yonsei University in Seodaemun-gu. Yonsei University decided to implement a quarantine pass at the Central Library starting from the 13th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

There are also complaints about the focused vaccination support week targeting teenagers. According to the Ministry of Education on the 12th, the Ministry of Education and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will operate a two-week COVID-19 vaccine focused vaccination support week from the 13th to the 24th to improve accessibility and convenience for teenage vaccinations.

First, vaccination teams from public health centers will visit schools directly to vaccinate students. Through each provincial and metropolitan office of education and local governments, a preliminary demand survey on vaccination willingness and consent will be conducted by noon on that day. In addition to school visits, authorities plan to support school-level COVID-19 vaccinations through various methods such as public health centers, vaccination centers, affiliated medical institutions, and school-linked vaccinations.

Representatives of the Student and Parent Human Rights Protection Coalition are marching in opposition to the 'Child and Adolescent Vaccine Pass' near Sinnonhyeon Station in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 11th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, opposition from students and parents continues, with over 250,000 agreeing to a Blue House public petition opposing the expansion of the vaccine pass. On the 11th, the Student and Parent Human Rights Protection Coalition marched in front of Sinnonhyeon Station on Subway Line 9, opposing the application of the 'vaccine pass' to children and adolescents.

Also, on the 8th, Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, met with parents and held an 'Online Forum with Students, Parents, and Experts' at Yanghwa Middle School in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, encouraging vaccination, but criticism arose.

On that day, Minister Yoo appealed, "The best infection prevention method in the current situation is to get vaccinated, and I earnestly ask for active participation in vaccination for children and adolescents," but opposing comments continued to be posted in real-time comments on the Ministry of Education's YouTube channel 'Education Ministry TV,' spreading concerns about teenage vaccination.

Also, on the same day, a petitioner who identified themselves as a 6th-grade elementary school student living in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, criticized the government's vaccine pass through the public petition site.

This elementary student lamented, "I am a student at the prime age to attend school and academies. However, if such a vaccine pass is introduced, students who do not want to get vaccinated may have to do so for their studies." They added, "Students who get the COVID vaccine were initially free, but soon that freedom seems to be stopping. The introduction of the vaccine pass is an act that takes away the choice from people who are afraid of side effects from the vaccine."

An elementary school student who identified themselves as a 6th grader posted a petition opposing the government's vaccine pass policy. Photo by the Blue House website's National Petition Board.

Earlier, on the 26th of last month, a petitioner who introduced themselves as a high school sophomore living in Daegu posted a petition titled 'Strongly Oppose the Vaccine Pass (also known as the Quarantine Pass) Once Again,' criticizing the government's vaccine pass policy.

The petitioner described the vaccine pass as "a representative unconstitutional policy that infringes on the daily life rights of unvaccinated people," and claimed that the consideration of charging for PCR tests is also a way to force vaccination. As of 11:30 a.m. that day, the petition had received over 340,000 endorsements, meeting the criteria for an official response.

Amid growing dissatisfaction among unvaccinated individuals, teenagers, and parents who see this as 'mandatory vaccination,' starting from midnight on the 13th, those caught using 16 types of multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes without vaccination or a negative PCR test certificate will be fined. However, unvaccinated individuals are allowed to dine alone.

Fines will be imposed on both facility users and business owners. Users will be fined 100,000 KRW, business owners 1.5 million KRW for the first violation, and 3 million KRW for the second violation. Furthermore, multi-use facilities that fail to comply with quarantine guidelines will face suspension orders: 10 days for the first violation, 20 days for the second, and 3 months for the third. The fourth violation may result in facility closure orders.

The government applies the vaccine pass to restaurants and cafes where mask-wearing is difficult but allows an exception for one unvaccinated person in private gatherings if the facility is essential. For example, in the metropolitan area, private gatherings of five vaccinated and one unvaccinated person are permitted; outside the metropolitan area, seven vaccinated and one unvaccinated person are allowed.

Facilities subject to the vaccine pass include restaurants and cafes, academies, movie theaters and performance halls, reading rooms and study cafes, multi-rooms (excluding arcades), PC rooms, indoor sports venues (spectator), museums, art galleries, science centers, party rooms, libraries, massage and therapy centers, entertainment venues (including pubs, karaoke bars, clubs, hunting pubs, emotional pubs, colatecs, and dance halls), coin karaoke rooms, indoor sports facilities, bathhouses, and betting facilities such as bicycle racing, motorboat racing, horse racing, and casinos?16 types in total.

Facilities exempt from the vaccine pass include wedding halls, funeral homes, amusement facilities (theme parks, water parks), arcades, stores, marts, department stores, outdoor sports venues (spectator), outdoor sports facilities, lodging facilities, kids cafes, first birthday parties, exhibitions and fairs, beauty salons, international conferences and academic events, door-to-door sales promotion centers, and religious facilities?14 types in total. These are facilities where applying the vaccine pass is difficult due to their nature, where gathering and event standards apply due to facility characteristics, or where access control is difficult due to openness.

The government repeatedly emphasized compliance with COVID-19 prevention rules and the number of unvaccinated people entering restaurants. Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stressed, "Private gatherings in multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes allow only one unvaccinated person to participate," adding, "Please minimize personal contact and ensure that private gatherings consist only of fully vaccinated individuals whenever possible."