Social distancing in South Korea started on March 22 and ended on May 5. It ran for six weeks and during that time, people were advised to avoid gatherings, festivals, and events. The government was specific to avoid going to church, entertainment venues like clubs and “noraebang”, as well as “PC bang” or internet cafe.
From May 6, the government has introduced “Everyday Life Quarantine” or 생활 속 거리 두기 (“saeng hwal sok geori dugi”). Everyone is expected to abide by five rules to prevent infection.
This is the new normal in South Korea now. We are quite lucky that the government did not impose a lock down during the peak of the outbreak in February and March. We are not COVID-19 free yet. The government said that there are asymptomatic carriers who might be unknowingly passing the virus to others. Last May 7th, a 29-year old Korean tested positive and infected more than a hundred others when he went to a club in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood. As of May 18, 2020, 15 new cases were reported in South Korea.
The government asks people to practice “Everyday Life Quarantine” to protect our loved ones and our neighbors as well.