Contrary to Government Policy... Wearing Masks Outside, Taking Them Off Inside

Report on the First Day of Full Outdoor Mask Mandate Lift
Over Half of Commuters in Jongno-gu Still Wearing Masks... "Feels Strange to Take Them Off"
Indoors, Masks Thrown Off... 5 out of 14 at Gongdeok Cafe Without Masks

The outdoor mask-wearing mandate was lifted starting from the 26th. Nevertheless, people in the Jongno-gu area of Seoul were still wearing masks on their way to work.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

"Please wear a mask before entering." On the morning of the 26th, at a cafe located in the Gwanghwamun area of Seoul, when an office worker entered the indoor space with the mask hanging on his ear instead of properly wearing it, the staff informed him to wear the mask. The office worker immediately put on the mask and ordered a drink. However, as soon as he finished ordering and took a seat, he took off the mask again. People inside the cafe also took off their masks while talking or working, even if they were not drinking. On the other hand, people walking outside on the street were wearing masks.

From this day, the outdoor mask-wearing mandate was lifted. It has been 17 months since last April 12, when mask-wearing was enforced outdoors even when maintaining a 2-meter distance was impossible. This measure is interpreted as a response to the recent slowdown in the spread of COVID-19. Since the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases recorded 29,108 on the 22nd, new cases have not exceeded 30,000. At the end of last month, the number of confirmed cases was about 100,000, so it has dropped to about a quarter of that level. However, the indoor mask-wearing mandate remains in place. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo explained, "This measure takes into account the increase in flu patients and the possibility of a COVID-19 resurgence in winter."

People still wore masks as they headed to work. Around 7:30 a.m. at the bus stop near Ahyeon-dong Community Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul, people waited for the bus wearing masks. Twelve people who were waiting without masks put them on as the bus arrival time approached. Kim Se-hyun (33), who kept wearing a mask, said, "Since I have to wear a mask anyway when taking the bus or entering indoors, I wear it outdoors as well. As a sales worker, it would be burdensome if I caught COVID-19 and had to take time off work."

The same was true on streets where people were not densely gathered. On the way to work in Jongno-gu, Seoul, more than half of the people wore masks as they headed to their workplaces. Those not wearing masks seemed awkward and repeatedly put on and took off their masks. Lee Gu-hyun (62), a cleaning worker on his way to work, said, "Wearing a mask is no longer awkward. Since pollution is severe and to prevent the flu, I continue to wear a mask."

In contrast to the government policy maintaining indoor mask-wearing, people took off their masks under roofs. A survey of cafes in the Gwanghwamun area of Seoul showed that after eating breakfast such as sandwiches or drinking coffee, people did not put their masks back on. They also spoke on the phone smiling without wearing masks. At a cafe near Gongdeok-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 5 out of 14 people seated had taken off their masks. However, they put their masks back on when entering indoors or ordering drinks. Park Jeong-yeon (29, pseudonym), an office worker commuting to Yeouido, said, "COVID-19 is not completely over yet, so I feel uneasy. The lifting of the outdoor mask mandate seems to have sent the wrong signal to people."

Professor Eom Jung-sik, an infectious disease specialist at Gachon University Gil Medical Center, said, "It is still difficult to say that the average number of confirmed cases has sufficiently decreased, and 25% of confirmed cases are high-risk individuals aged 60 or older. Considering the future COVID-19 epidemic situation and other respiratory diseases, masks must be worn indoors."