Category: Seoul

Well that didn’t take long for South Korean authorities to reverse the removal of mask mandates for vaccinated people that went into effect on July 1st:

Facemasks will remain mandatory in the greater Seoul area — even for vaccinated people — due to a recent surge in virus cases.  
   
In addition, drinking will be banned outdoors after 10 p.m. in parks and riversides in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi.  
   
A planned relaxation of measures has been called off as health authorities deal with a spike in new Covid cases.  
   
More than 80 percent of new cases have been registered in greater Seoul, and the proportion of patients in their 20s and 30s — who are not yet eligible for vaccinations — is on the rise.  
   
As a result, authorities decided to keep mask mandates both indoors and outdoors in the greater Seoul area. From July 1, people who received at least one Covid-19 shot were supposed to be exempted from the outdoor mask mandate. That is no longer the case in the greater Seoul area, but is in most other parts of the country. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but if authorities are trying to encourage people to get vaccinated this is not the way to do it.

It will be interesting to see if the Korean and international media will trash the KCTU for not following coronavirus restrictions like they did back in August against a conservative rally:

South Korea’s major umbrella labor union pressed ahead with a massive street rally Saturday in central Seoul despite the government’s warning of a stern response.

Around 8,000 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) gathered in the Jongno district, ignoring the government’s call to cancel the assembly feared to affect the fight against COVID-19. The country is struggling to contain a resurgence of coronavirus cases.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This is good news if you are a property owner in Seoul, but not good news for anyone trying to find a place to live:

The average sales price of apartments in Seoul has nearly doubled under the Moon Jae-in government, a civic group said Wednesday.

The Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice announced the results of its study that has tracked the prices of 115,000 units in 75 apartment complexes since President Moon took office four years ago.

The average price of a 99-square-meter apartment in Seoul rose to 1.19 billion won (US$1.04 million) from 620 million won from May 2017 to May 2021.

The rise in apartment prices was found to be 192 times the rise in net income, which grew by an average of 2.98 million won during the same period.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but a 99 square foot apartment is about 1,065 square feet that people in Seoul have to pay over $1 million dollars to afford. It is understandable why people in Seoul are upset about the high cost of housing.

Here is an interesting idea to combat misspellings in Seoul:

The Seoul city government is offering rewards to the first 100 people who report errors they find in English, Chinese or Japanese on public signs in the city, especially those at tourist sites, through June 15.    
   
“Anyone in Seoul can participate by reporting an error that they see in foreign language usage on information boards at tourist sites,” said the city government in its statement on Sunday. “The project is open through June 15, and individuals can participate up to five times .”  
   
When the city government receives a report about incorrect foreign language usage on these signs that is confirmed to be erroneous, it will reward the person with 10,000 won ($8.90) in mobile cash that can be used at member stores of Zero Pay, a special mobile payment service integrated in commercial banking and payment apps.  

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

It didn’t take long to get this order targeting foreigners rescinded:

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday withdrew its controversial administrative order forcing all foreign workers in the capital region to undergo COVID-19 testing, after having faced mounting criticism over alleged discrimination and violations of foreign residents’ human rights. 

The city said its order, issued on Wednesday, was changed to an “advisory” for foreign workers to receive a test by the end of the month if their workplaces have a high risk of infection.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

If you thought the traffic in central Seoul was bad enough, well it has recently gotten even worse:

Seoul City has started construction to widen Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul by turning part of an adjacent thoroughfare into a pedestrian-only space.

The capital’s most ambitious renovation project began on March 6, aiming to expand the square, which has been criticized for being pedestrian-unfriendly by sitting in the middle of the busy Sejong-daero thoroughfare.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but this all the more reason to use the subway in Seoul.

Considering how packed Seoul always seems it is hard to believe it is going through a population decline:

 Seoul’s population has fallen below 10 million for the first time in over 30 years, the city government said Wednesday. 

The total number of inhabitants in the capital stood at 9,911,088 at the end of last year, with 9,668,465 citizens and 242,623 foreign nationals, the local government said, citing data from the ministries of interior and justice. 

This marks the first time Seoul’s population has sunk below 10 million since it crossed the threshold in 1988.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.