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| A sign attached at the entrance of a book store in Seoul, Sunday, reads that visitors are required to wear a face mask. Yonhap |
Daejeon city, central government at odds over mask requirement
By Lee Hyo-jin
A debate has reignited over the indoor face mask mandate following a move by the Daejeon city government to lift the requirement in the region, going against the nationwide directive that has been in place for over two years.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has requested the city government to refrain from making unilateral decisions in COVID-19 response measures. But Daejeon's move has added pressure on the government to expedite its discussions on dropping the mask mandate, as the country is experiencing a less threatening winter surge than previous years.
The nationwide requirement to wear masks in indoor spaces such as offices, cafes, hospitals and public transportation was first implemented in October 2020. After the outdoor mask mandate was lifted in May of this year, there have been growing calls among the pandemic-weary public that the government should begin to ease the indoor requirement as well.
In response, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters has repeatedly said it will review dropping the requirement as early as next spring, citing lingering concerns of a "twindemic" of the flu and the coronavirus infections this winter.
On Dec. 1, however, the Daejeon Metropolitan Government sent an official letter to the headquarters, stating that it will lift the indoor mask mandate in the area from January 2023 unless the central government announces the same measure by Dec. 15.
In the letter, city officials questioned the efficacy of the indoor mask mandate considering that customers at restaurants and cafes take off their masks while eating and drinking. They also expressed concerns that the prolonged wearing of masks could have a negative impact on children by slowing their language and social development.
The city government also pointed out that an increasing number of countries around the world are ditching the mandate. So far, many countries including Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Spain and Israel have lifted or eased the mask rule.
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| Daejeon City Mayor Lee Jang-woo / Korea Times file |
But Daejeon's move was met by a negative response from the KDCA which oversees the nation's COVID-19-related measures.
"Until now, COVID-19-related restrictions have been introduced through discussions between 17 metropolitan, provincial governments and related government bodies. Decisions to strengthen the measures imposed by the central headquarters were up to the local governments, but loosening the restrictions have required prior discussions with the central government," it said in a statement released on Friday night.
Stressing the importance of a unified and coordinated approach to pandemic responses across the nation, the agency added that it will thoroughly discuss the issue with Daejeon authorities.
It remains to be seen whether Daejeon city will push ahead with the plan, but the first official move by a local government going against the rules imposed by the central authorities is anticipated to expedite the KDCA's discussion on lifting the mask mandate.
Health authorities plan to hold regular meetings with experts to decide on when and how to lift the indoor mask mandate. The first meeting has been set for Dec. 15.
"The authorities seem to be preparing for a worst-case scenario in which the country may see up to 200,000 daily cases in the winter," said Paik Soon-young, an emeritus professor at Catholic University of Korea. "However, at the current stage, the mask requirement and self-isolation rules are becoming less meaningful in responding to the virus spread."
Paik said the government should consider making mask wearing a "recommendation" rather than a strict requirement, and thus make it more of a personal choice depending on the individual's vaccination or previous infection history.
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