野 "Unscientific" vs 청 "Is There Evidence?" 'Bangyeok Pass' Controversy Spreads to Political Circles

Opposition Presidential Candidates Criticize Government's Quarantine Policy
"Then Present Alternatives," Unusually Retorted by Blue House
As Quarantine Pass Expands, Voices of Opposition Grow

On the 14th, a customer is going through the quarantine pass verification process at the Lotte Department Store main branch in Jung-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The controversy surrounding the government's introduced 'Quarantine Pass (vaccine certificate and negative test confirmation system)' is spreading to the political sphere. As opposition presidential candidates criticized the quarantine pass policy as "unscientific," the Blue House unusually issued a direct rebuttal.

Earlier, on the 11th, candidate Yoon posted on his Facebook, stating, "Withdraw the unscientific quarantine pass and the 9 PM business hour restriction." This is not the first time Yoon has criticized the quarantine pass. On the 9th, he also posted on Facebook, claiming, "Starting tomorrow, even the 'freedom to go to the mart' will be restricted. The measures that limit dining out and even prevent people from buying groceries to cook at home are unfair."

On the 8th, Ahn Cheol-soo, the People's Party presidential candidate, also said, "I oppose Moon Jae-in's vaccine pass. Quarantine should be approached scientifically, not politically," adding, "Why restrict business hours while applying the vaccine pass? When it hits 9 PM, all restaurants close, causing subways to be packed with people. Dispersing this crowd would be more effective for quarantine and beneficial for small business owners."

While the opposition parties are pouring criticism on the government's quarantine pass policy, the Blue House directly rebutted these claims. Park Soo-hyun, the Blue House Chief of Public Communication, said at a briefing on the 14th, "Some are confusing the public by criticizing quarantine guidelines as unscientific without clear evidence." Although no specific names were mentioned, this is interpreted as targeting candidates Yoon and Ahn.

Park Su-hyun, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, is briefing on COVID-19 quarantine measures at the Chuncheon Press Briefing Room on the afternoon of the 14th. / Photo by Yonhap News

Chief Park said, "If so, I hope they propose alternative measures," and criticized, "Quarantine, which is directly linked to the lives of the people, should not be approached politically. This is not a responsible attitude."

He continued, "When it comes to quarantine, I ask everyone to cooperate for public safety," emphasizing, "In the long and arduous fight against COVID-19, whenever difficulties arose, although government measures were not perfect, the people sacrificed and endured pain, trusted the government, and overcame the crisis together."

◆Opposition arises as quarantine pass implementation expands

As part of the 'Special Quarantine Measures' announced by the government on the 3rd of last month, the quarantine pass was expanded to indoor multi-use facilities such as cafes, restaurants, academies, and PC rooms. From the 10th, a guidance period for applying the quarantine pass was also implemented in large marts and department stores.

However, as the quarantine pass was applied across citizens' daily lives, opposition voices began to grow. Especially since the '6-month validity period' was applied from the 3rd, the backlash intensified.

It is generally known that the protective effect of the vaccine lasts about six months, so the validity period of the quarantine pass was limited to six months. In other words, citizens who completed the second dose must receive the third booster shot within six months from the vaccination date to continue using the quarantine pass.

Members of a civic group who filed for a suspension of the enforcement of the quarantine pass policy held a press conference after the hearing at the Seoul Administrative Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 14th. / Photo by Yonhap News

Some citizens have criticized this policy as "effectively forcing vaccination." This controversy has escalated into legal disputes.

Earlier, Professor Jo Doo-hyung of Yeungnam University College of Medicine, along with about 1,000 medical professionals and religious figures, filed a lawsuit on the 31st of last month at the Seoul Administrative Court to suspend the enforcement of the quarantine pass.

The applicants argued that the effectiveness of the quarantine pass is unclear, the application criteria are inconsistent, and it effectively makes social life impossible for unvaccinated individuals, thereby coercing vaccination.

On the other hand, the government emphasized the necessity of the quarantine pass, citing it as an effective means to reduce the risk of death from COVID-19 infection and pointing to the significant decrease in daily confirmed cases after its application.

The Seoul Administrative Court Administrative Division 4 (Chief Judge Han Won-gyo) partially accepted the suspension of enforcement request filed by Professor Jo and others against the Mayor of Seoul on the 14th. As a result of this decision, the enforcement of the quarantine pass for stores, marts, and department stores over 3,000㎡ in Seoul is suspended, and the quarantine pass is suspended in all 17 types of facilities for adolescents aged 12 to 18.