– As citizens’ dissatisfaction with the self-employed centered on the’prohibition of private gatherings for more than 5 people’, which took effect on the 23rd, the Seoul Metropolitan Government issued detailed guidelines for’private activities’ such as rituals, early soccer, and weddings. There is growing criticism that the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the subject of issuing the executive order, did not anticipate confusion among citizens in the field and initiated the order first. According to the’Q&A of the Executive Order Banning Private Meetings with 5 or More People’ announced by the Seoul Metropolitan Government that day, the most controversial part is the case of dividing various meetings of 5 or more people into two. For example, it is not allowed in principle to go to a restaurant with 6 people and share 3 people at two tables. This means that if there are more than 5 people at alumni associations, outings, and workplace dinners, it should not be hosted from the beginning.
The same applies to the case of six people going to the golf course and splitting the round into two teams. It is only allowed when rounds with one team with fewer than 5 players, including caddy, are present. If the round is divided into two teams, it is not allowed because it is more than 5 players when the party first meets.
Similar rules apply to outdoor sports such as early soccer and mountain climbing. Early football with 22 players in both teams is effectively banned. If there are fewer than 5 people climbing, they can go hiking together.
A Seoul city official said, “This measure refers to a collective activity in which five or more people gather at the same time with the same purpose in the same place, regardless of whether they are indoors or outdoors, from meeting to separation.” Meetings and job interviews that are directly related to business activities in businesses such as companies or factories are all permitted. However, quarantine regulations such as keeping a distance of 2m or more between participants must be observed. After a business meeting, dinners or workshops of 5 or more people are regulated.
Family events such as rituals have become a key criterion for deciding whether to allow “direct” or “banggye”. Direct family gatherings made up of grandparents, parents, and grandchildren are not included in the regulation. However, it is subject to regulation if more than 5 people gather at an event where blood relatives more than cousins gather together. Direct family means the immediate family on the family relations register.
In the midst of this, Seoul City decided to issue’Prepaid Gift Certificates’ worth 100 billion won for small business owners who suffered damage from strengthened social distancing measures.
The intention is to increase sales of small businesses by allowing consumers to purchase gift certificates and make a’prepayment’ at retail stores, and use them after the end of the administrative order and ease of social distancing.
In an online briefing held on the morning of the 23rd, Seo Jeong-hyup, acting mayor of Seoul, said, “If the subsequent adjustment of social distancing and the ban on private gatherings are added, small business owners and self-employed are forced to close out of business.” We decided to start emergency assistance. Once a consumer purchases a gift certificate worth at least 100,000 to 300,000 won, Seoul City will provide an additional 10% benefit. After that, when the consumer uses the gift certificate, an additional benefit of 10% or more is given to the participating companies in the prepayment. In terms of encouraging pre-payment, a gift certificate must be paid at least KRW 110,000 at a time, and the gift certificate is valid until January next year.
However, after the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its policy to issue gift certificates, a research result showed that the Korea Development Institute (KDI) is more advantageous in achieving the policy effect by selecting and supporting industries where the damage is concentrated rather than providing support in the form of gift certificates to all the people. According to the results of the’Emergency Disaster Subsidy Payment Effect Analysis’ released by KDI on that day, the effect of boosting consumption of the emergency disaster subsidies provided to the entire population in May was only 30%. A total of 1.4 trillion won was sown, but the sales increase was around 4 trillion won. Consumption has also been observed in some industries. In the face-to-face service industry, where sales have dropped sharply due to the spread of Corona 19, the situation has not improved much while spending subsidies on’high-priced goods’, diapers, razors, rice, and other’daily necessities’ that have been hesitant to buy or not.
[박승철 기자 / 최현재 기자]
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