US Forces Korea under fire for 'no-mask' party

The Camp Humphreys website shows, Tuesday, that a restaurant where a dance party was held recently has been closed until further notice. Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

The United States Forces Korea (USFK) has come under fire for a party which took place at a restaurant on its main base where the owners and patrons ignored the Korean government's social distancing rules banning large gatherings and requiring people to wear masks.

According to news reports, Tuesday, the Flightline Tap Room, a restaurant at U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, held a dance party, Dec. 4, at which many of the participants were wearing masks improperly or not at all, according to photos and videos of the party uploaded on social media.

Following media attention on the no-mask party, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested the USFK to follow the country's social distancing guidelines. The Humphreys website said the venue has been closed until further notice.

The USFK has so far reported 408 COVID-19 cases. The latest were reported in 17 military and civilian personnel who arrived in Korea via Osan Air Base or Incheon International Airport between Nov. 11 and Dec. 4. They have all been treated at USAG Humphreys or Osan Air Base, according to the USFK.

The government's regulations do not apply to the USFK installations which by law are not Korean territory. However, a no-mask party is seen as highly inappropriate amid the COVID-19 surge. It also goes against the USFK's own social distancing rules.

This is not the first time the USFK has come under fire in the media for inappropriate activities during the pandemic. Some U.S. soldiers raised a controversy by setting off fireworks ahead of July 4 at Haeundae Beach in Busan and some were criticized for not wearing masks.

Due to the latest surge in COVID-19 cases, the government imposed heightened social distancing rules in Seoul and the surrounding area starting Tuesday, banning gatherings of more than 50 people and imposing other strict measures.

“We must remind the people to follow strengthened disease prevention rules. It is a particularly urgent time for each and every citizen to voluntarily abide by the guidelines. Keeping the basics of disease prevention, such as wearing a mask and refraining from close contact, can prevent the spread of the infection,” President Moon Jae-in said during a meeting with his senior aides Monday, according to press pool reports.