Self-employed,’protest to open until 12:00 pm’… “Are you telling me to die still?”

“(To those who are self-employed) We ask for your participation and cooperation.” -Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun

“Aren’t you saying people are screaming as they are dying, but you should be still?” -Officials of the National Self-Employed Emergency Response Committee for Corona 19 Response

The ‘Corona 19 Response National Self-Employed Emergency Countermeasures Committee’ (Self-Employed Personnel Compensation Committee), composed of 12 self-employed organizations nationwide, criticized Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun for requesting “general cooperation” from self-employed people. On the 10th, an official from the self-employed self-employed subcommittee raised a voice saying, “(Prime Minister Jung’s remarks) are people screaming as they are dying, but aren’t they telling them to stay still?”

The self-employed self-employed volunteers and 7 indoor sports facilities and space rental organizations have held’opening (lighting) demonstrations’ for the past three days, which do not close until midnight at some business sites. At 9 p.m., customers are sent out and the store door is left open until midnight. On the 9th, at a PC room in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on the 10th at a coin karaoke room in Seodaemun-gu, and at a pub in Seocho-gu on the 10th, members of the self-employed self-employed volunteers gathered and held a rally to protest the quarantine standards.

At this meeting, they said, “The uniform business hours restrictions that ignore the fairness and rationality between industries should be abolished.” “For a year after the outbreak of Corona 19, our self-employed people have been leading the way in quarantine. The quarantine authorities should now recognize the quarantine standards as a matter of survival, not an economic problem, and come up with a win-win plan. We will not follow the quarantine guidelines that only force sacrifices.” At the same time, ▶ urged the abolition of business restrictions at 9:00 pm ▶ enactment of a special law for retroactive loss compensation ▶ installation of a permanent quarantine standard adjustment mechanism.

Prime Minister Chung said at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 9th, “I am well aware that the disappointment of small business owners and self-employed people in the metropolitan area, who had expected’relaxation of business restrictions at 9pm’ before the Lunar New Year holidays.” “The government also understands the sentiment, but this decision comprehensively considered the risk of infection and social receptivity, and as it was made after hearing the opinions of various fields, we ask for widespread participation and cooperation.”

The government allowed non-metropolitan restaurants and cafes to operate in-store until 10 pm, and indoor sports facilities and multi-use facilities are allowed to operate until 10 pm. However, the metropolitan area maintained its business limit at 9 PM. The government is in a position to decide whether to extend the operating hours of multi-business facilities in the metropolitan area after watching the situation for a week, including the Lunar New Year holidays.

The self-employed self-employed volunteers will continue their demonstrations to open their stores autonomously even during the holiday season, while discussing quarantine standards with the quarantine authorities next week.

Reporter Lee Byung-jun [email protected]