At the Seoul Gwangjang Market on the 31st, when the government announced that it would extend the current social distancing stage by two more weeks until the end of the Lunar New Year holiday, a merchant watches the February calendar while watching the announcement of the extension of distancing on TV. On this day, Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun said to self-employed and small business owners, “I’m sorry,” and appealed to the self-employed and small business owners, saying, “Please do a little more.” News 1
“I am not making fun of self-employed people… Do you mean to eat a candy and be quiet for a while as if to appease a crying child?”
This is an article posted on the community where about 600,000 self-employed people have joined. This is a response after the government announced on the 6th that it would extend the business hours in the non-metropolitan area by one hour and maintain the 9 pm business limit in the metropolitan area. Business owners are complaining, saying, “In restaurants, health, and karaoke rooms, the difference between an hour and an hour in the evening greatly affects sales.”
“Also once or twice asking regular customers to pay for it quickly”
In front of the Yeouido National Assembly in Seoul on the morning of the 5th, Jin Seong-joon and Democratic Party lawmaker Jin Seong-joon speaks at a press conference for a legislative petition to guarantee income for workers affected by Corona 19, compensation for losses for self-employed people, and new social solidarity tax. News 1
The self-employed, who expected to ease their business restrictions, were frustrated. Self-employed people in the metropolitan area have been operating in accordance with the 9 pm business deadline, but have suffered from cold heart such as causing conflicts with customers. A business owner A, who has been running a bar in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul for the second year, said, “There are often drunken customers who order food right before the kitchen deadline and how to go with the food left. I am embarrassed whenever I do this.” He confessed, “I am a thankful customer who comes to the store even in Corona 19, but is it not just once or twice to rush me to pay the bill?”
In fact, in one community, poet Ryu Geun posted on Facebook the story of Pocha, who was suspended for two weeks due to a quarantine violation. In the article, he claimed, “This gun car was closed for two weeks due to violation of the quarantine law and opened only two days ago because someone reported that the customer was paying the bill at 9:08 pm.”
“More than 50% of small businesses in the metropolitan area”
A post posted on the self-employed community on the 6th. Large self-employed community capture
Some pointed out whether it would be effective to separate the non-metropolitan area and the metropolitan area in terms of business restrictions. According to an article posted on the community, “The metropolitan area Suwon has a population of 1 million and the non-metropolitan area has a population of 3 million, so I don’t know what to do.” “It is an expected result anyway. Stories such as “The government can’t compensate for it anyway, so it can’t even ban it.”
Organizations of small business owners said that some are also considering protests against the government’s current social distancing stage and maintaining the ban on five-member meetings. “There are more than 50% of small business establishments in the metropolitan area,” said Nam-soo Cha, director of policy and public relations at the Small Business Association. “I don’t know if the non-metropolitan area will have some effect, but it doesn’t mean much unless the metropolitan area is released.”
Customers are singing songs at a coin karaoke room in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 18th, when the use of multi-use facilities such as a gym, billiard room, karaoke room and coin karaoke room resumed. The government allowed some multi-use facilities to resume operation, and increased the number of personnel from the existing 4㎡ to 1 person per 8㎡. Newsis
Business restrictions that have not yet been reflected by industry characteristics
Self-employed people are also dissatisfied with the fact that the business restrictions still did not reflect the characteristics of each industry. Until now, karaoke and fitness companies have argued that they should have a different time limit than restaurants. Lee Jae-in (45), who runs two coin karaoke rooms in Seocho-gu and Dongjak-gu, Seoul, said, “The coin karaoke room is open between 9 and 10 PM because there are many people who visit after a meal. “We are insisting that the start time be delayed to 11 am and run until midnight accordingly.”
Meanwhile, self-employed people who operate PC cafes and coin karaoke rooms announced that they would go out to protest the opening of a store with signboards and store lights on after 9 PM as a sign of protest. In response to Corona 19, the National Self-Employed Emergency Countermeasures Committee released a press release on the 6th and explained, “I strongly protest against the government’s collective prohibition measures that do not reflect the reality of each industry,” and said, “We will hold a demonstration against the quarantine standards for 3 days from the 7th.” .
Reporter Choi Yeonsu [email protected]