Busan Metropolitan City has decided to ease the previous Level 4 social distancing measures to Level 3 from September 6, 2021.
Social Distancing Level in the Busan Area: Level 3 (with some adjusted quarantine measures)
(Effective Monday, September 6 until Sunday, October 3, 2021)
[Classification of Multi-use Facilities]
Group 1 (3 types)
▶ Entertainment facilities (bars, including night clubs and room salons, karaoke bars, pubs, hunting pochas), ▶ ’colatecs’ (Korean-style cabaret) and dance halls, ▶ hold’em pubs (card game pubs)
Group 2 (5 types)
▶ Restaurants/cafes/bakeries (including unmanned cafes, convenience stores and street vendors) ▶ singing rooms (including coin singing rooms) ▶ bathhouses/saunas ▶ Indoor sports facilities (with intense cardio exercise) ▶ direct sales (e.g., door-to-door sales) promotion centers
*Apply special quarantine measures
Group 3 (12 types)
▶ Private academies ▶ movie theaters ▶ study rooms and cafes ▶ wedding halls ▶ funeral homes ▶ barbershops/hair salons ▶ indoor sports facilities (with low and medium intensity exercise) ▶ amusement parks/water parks ▶ multi-rooms/DVD rooms ▶ retail stores, mart, department stores (larger than 300㎡) ▶ Casinos (except casinos designated for foreigners) ▶ internet cafes (PC bangs)
Other facilities (13 types)
▶ Sports Stadium ▶ velodromes, regattas and race courses (national and public facilities) ▶ museums and art galleries ▶ accommodation ▶ party rooms ▶library ▶kids cafe ▶international conferences and workshops ▶ religious facilities ▶ Outdoor sports facilities (including outdoor winter sports facilities) ▶ ’doljanchi’ specialized venues ▶ exhibits and expos ▶ massage salons
Businesses considered high-risk:
▶ call centers ▶ distribution and logistics centers
1. Gatherings/Events
Private gatherings:
(Private gatherings) Ban on private gatherings of 5 or more people
– Reservations or entrance of 5 or more persons to multi-purpose facilities, including restaurants are prohibited
*Except when a person is about to pass away requiring the family to gather(including long-distance family gatherings during vacation, weekends and more); when it is required for the care of children under 12, the elderly, or the disabled (the number of care giver); when people gather for games at private sports facilities with the facility’s manager; when the families of the bride and groom have a meeting (gatherings of up to 8 persons to be allowed); when people gather for traditional first-birthday parties for babies, celebrations known as ‘doljanchi’ (including specialized doljanchi venues)(gatherings of up to 16 persons to be allowed); when people gather with those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, gatherings of up to 8 persons (including 4 or less unvaccinated people) to be allowed.
*People who are vaccinated against COVID-19 include those who have passed 14 days after getting their second dose of the vaccine or completed applicable single-dose vaccination.
Other gatherings & events
- Ban on rallies with over 50 participants
* For rallies, the number of participants includes those who are vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Wear a mask indoors, keep a visitor log, ventilate and disinfect regularly
Maintain 2-meter (at least 1-meter) distancing in the facilities
2. Multi-use Facilities
Comply with mandatory quarantine measures (wear a mask, keep visitor log (excluding department stores, marts, shops), ventilate and disinfect regularly, appoint a disease control and prevention supervisor)
Facilities in Group 1
▶ Entertainment facilities (bars, including night clubs and room salons, karaoke bars, pubs, hunting pochas): Limit on the number of people (including staff) (1 person/8㎡, 1 person/10㎡ for night clubs), suspension of operations after 10 PM until 5AM the next day, required use of electronic log systems (including staff), when singing required to wear a facemask.
All employees (including managers) are required to take a PCR test every two weeks.
Only those who have a negative result from a PCR test (with negative PCR certificate issued less than 2 weeks) are allowed to work
▶ ’Colatecs’ (Korean-style cabaret) and dance halls: Limit on the number of people (1 person/10㎡), suspension of operations after 10 PM until 5AM the next day,
All employees (including managers) are required to take a PCR test every two weeks.
Only those who have a negative result from a PCR test (with negative PCR certificate issued less than 2 weeks) are allowed to work
▶ Hold’em pubs (card game pubs): Limit on the number of people (1 person/8㎡, including staff and dealer), suspension of operations after 10 PM until 5AM the next day, required to wear gloves when using public items such as dice, cards, etc.,
All employees (including managers) are required to take a PCR test every two weeks.
Only those who have a negative result from a PCR test (with negative PCR certificate issued less than 2 weeks) are allowed to work
Facilities in Group 2
▶ Restaurants/cafes/bakeries (including unmanned cafes, convenience stores and street vendors)
- Take-out and delivery only past 10 PM until 5:00 AM the next day
- When more than two customers order only coffee, a beverage or dessert menu item, they will be strongly recommended to stay for up to an hour only.
- All facilities regardless of their size, comply with one of the following measures: ① Distance of 1 meter between tables; ② Empty seats/tables between seats/tables; ③ Install partitions between tables
▶ Singing rooms (including coin singing rooms): Suspension of operations after 10 PM until 5AM the next day,
All employees (including managers) are required to take a PCR test every two weeks.
Only those who have a negative result from a PCR test (with negative PCR certificate issued less than 2 weeks) are allowed to work
▶ Bathhouses/saunas: Limit on the number of people (1 person/8㎡), suspension of operations after 10 PM until 5AM the next day, eating food is prohibited (except water and non-alcohol beverage), employees (including managers) are required to take a PCR test every two weeks, ban on using saunas and sleeping rooms
▶ Indoor sports facilities (with intense cardio exercise): Employees (including managers) are required to take a PCR test every two weeks, limit on the number of people (1 person/8㎡) but limit on the number of people (1 person/6㎡) in gyms for intense group exercise (GX) including zumba, tae-bo, spinning, aerobics, step classes, kickboxing and more.
- (swimming pool) Suspension of operations after 10 PM until 5AM the next day, keep on shower empty between showers (except with partitions)
- (table tennis) allowed to stay for up to two hours only in the facility, ban on tennis tournaments or competitions, keep 2-meter distance between table tennis tables
- (Badminton, tennis, squash, etc.) allowed to stay for up to two hours only in the facility, ban on shower facilities, ban on competitions, gatherings of up to 1.5 times the number of players by sport to be allowed.
- (Intense group exercise (GX)) play music with a tempo between 100 and 120 beats per minute(bpm), ban on shower facilities
- (Gym) ban on sports with contact between people, such as sparring, competitions, etc, ban on shower facilities
- Ban on shower facilities (except swimming pool)
※ Ban on gatherings of up to 1.5 times the number of players for sport games where the number of players consists of 5 or more on each team
▶ Direct sales (e.g., door-to-door sales) promotion centers: Suspension of operations after 10 PM until 5AM the next day, Limit on the number of people (1 person/8㎡), eating food is prohibited (except water and non-alcohol beverage).
Facilities in Group 3
▶ Private academies: Employees (including managers) are required to take a PCR test every two weeks, limit on the number of people (1 person/6㎡) or keep one empty seat between seats, eating food is prohibited (except water and non-alcohol beverages)
-(dormitory types) required to submit PCR test result before entering the academy
▶ Movie theaters, concert halls: Keep one seat empty between customers (sitting next to a companion is permitted); eating food is prohibited (except water and non-alcohol beverages); limit on the audience number up to 5,000 per performance.
-(Regular performance facilities) limit on the audience number up to 5,000 per performance
-(Performances at venues except regular performance facilities) limit on the number of people (1 person/6㎡, up to 2,000)
▶ Study rooms and cafes: Keep one seat empty between seats (except with partitions), eating food is prohibited (except water and non-alcohol beverages)
▶ Wedding halls: Limit on the number of people (less than 50 or 1 person/4㎡ in each wedding hall)
▶ Funeral homes: Limit on the number of people (less than 50 or 1 person/4㎡ in each funeral parlor)
▶ Barbershops/hair salons: Limit on the number of people (1 person/8㎡)
▶ Indoor sports facilities (with low and medium intensity exercise)
Employees (including managers) are required to take a PCR test every two weeks, limit on the number of people (1 person/8㎡), ban on shower facilities; eating food is prohibited (except water and non-alcohol beverages), required to give notice to treadmills users limiting speed to a maximum of 6km/h, required to wear a face mask while dancing at dancing academy
▶ Amusement parks: Limit capacity to 50%
▶ Water parks: Limit capacity to 30%
▶ Multi-rooms/DVD rooms: Limit on the number of people (1 person/8㎡), eating food is prohibited (except water and non-alcohol beverages)
▶ Retail stores, mart, department stores (larger than 300㎡): Employees (including managers) are required to take a PCR test every two weeks, visitor temperature checks, mandatory to wear a face mask, ban on gathering for events, food-tasting, using customer rest areas
- Large stores(larger than 3,000㎡): keep a visitor log
▶ Casinos (except casinos designated for foreigners): Limit capacity to 30%
▶ Internet cafes (PC bangs): Employees (including managers) are required to take a PCR test every two weeks, keep one seat empty between seats (except with partitions), eating food is prohibited (except with partitions)
Facilities in Other facilities
▶ Sports Stadium: Admission of spectators (20%) (30% for outdoor events), eating food is prohibited (except water and non-alcohol beverages), keep one seat empty between seats (sitting next to a companion is permitted), ban on shouting or cheering
▶ Velodromes, regattas and race courses (national and public facilities): Limit capacity to 20%
▶ Museums and art galleries: Limit on the number of people (50% of 1 person/6㎡)
▶ Outdoor sports facilities (including outdoor winter sports facilities): The required number of players by sport ※ Gatherings of up to 1.5 times the number of players by sport to be allowed.
Eating food is prohibited.
▶ Accommodation: Prohibited from exceeding capacity of people in one room, ban on gatherings for events and parties hosted at accommodation venues, number of room reservations limited to 3/4 room capacity
▶ Party rooms: Limit on the number of people (1 person/8㎡), comply with the number of private gatherings allowed, ban on new entry after 10:00 p.m.
▶ Library: Limit capacity to 50%
▶ Kids café: Limit on the number of people (1 person/6㎡)
▶ ’Doljanchi’ specialized venues: Gathering of up to 16 persons are to be allowed.
▶ Exhibits and expos: Limit on the number of people (1 person/6㎡) except staffs in each booth
▶ Massage salons: Limit on the number of people (1 person/8㎡)
▶ Barbershops/hair salons: Limit on the number of people (1 person/8㎡)
▶ International conferences and workshops: keep two seats empty between fixed seats or two meter distance between seats
▶ Religious facilities: In-person worship services (i.e. Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, Cheondoist) at less than 20 percent seat capacity (keep one seat empty between seats), but prohibited from holding meetings and providing meals and accommodation
- outdoor event with less than 50 people is allowed.
-Prohibited from eating food, prohibited from chanting or praying loudly
Businesses considered high-risk:
▶ Call centers: notice of quarantine measures to all employees
▶ Distribution and logistics centers: notice of quarantine measures to all employees
3. Daily Life and Social & Economic Activities
▷ Mandatory to wear a face mask
- All indoor facilities, outdoor locations where people cannot stay 2 meters apart; administrative fine to be imposed for violations
- Even in outdoor settings, wearing a mask is mandatory at large gatherings for rallies, festivals large scale concerts and events, beaches and parks (including Busan Citizens Park, Children's Park, Songsanghyeon Square, Busan Jungang Park and Geumgang Park).
▷ Use of public transportation: Mandatory to wear a face mask, eating food is prohibited (except water and non-alcohol beverage) in vehicle (except international flights)
▷ School: 1/3 ~ 2/3 of student capacity recommended (2/3 for high school)
▷ Exam: keep over 1.5 meter distance between seats, install waiting room, entrance control except examinees and those persons assisting with the exam
- Exams hosted by central government, local governments and public organizations comply with quarantine measures at each exam.
▷ Unauthorized school:
- Schools with full day classes or dormitory schools are to impose quarantine measures of private academy
- Schools run by religious facilities are to impose quarantine measures of religious facilities
▷ Work schedule: To avoid crowded work environments, use flexible work schedules, or adjust start/end times of work and lunch hours and encourage 20% of staff to work from home.
A violation of the quarantine rules at facilities in groups 1 and 2 even once will immediately result in operations being shut down for two weeks.
The city government will impose a “one-strike-out” policy on rule violations. A violation of the quarantine rules even once will immediately result in operations being shut down.
Violations of the quarantine rules: Fines of up to 100,000 won for individual violators and up to 3 million won for facility managers, business owners and operators.
For more detailed guidelines, please visit our website at https://www.busan.go.kr/covid19/Prevention07.do (Korean)