 |
| A banner outside Seoul Metropolitan Library in central Seoul urges people not to visit their families during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday to keep social distancing, in this Jan. 31 photo. Yonhap |
By Bahk Eun-ji
The government's ban on gatherings of five or more people, aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, has become a fresh topic for disputes among family members ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays.
While many Koreans travel across the country to meet family and relatives during one of the two biggest traditional holidays, some couples and families have had quarrels over whether to push ahead with the visits this time by breaking social distancing rules, as the number of people easily surpasses four when two or three generations gather.
A 31-year-old office worker, surnamed Kim, is struggling to deal with his father's plan to push ahead with a family gathering at his house in Daejeon.
"My father just doesn't get the idea of applying the gathering ban even for a family visit during the holiday. He keeps saying it doesn't make sense that we have to pay a fine if we violate the rule, because it is just a family gathering," Kim said.
Tempers flare especially when the issue involves in-laws. For many married couples in Korea where a patriarchal culture is still evident, visiting the husband's parents has priority over visits to the wife's parents.
Kim Jee-in, 38, a homemaker in Seoul, said she recently discussed the issue of family visits with her husband, but has yet to reach a conclusion.
"When the government announced the extension of the social distancing system, I planned to stay at home during the holiday, but my mother-in-law living in another province called me a couple of days ago and asked us to come and visit her," Kim said.
"I'm especially worried about my five-year-old son, because a mass infection linked to a church was recently reported in the region where my parents-in-law live."
Jennie Yum, a mother of two children in Seoul, said she argued with her husband over visiting his parents during the holiday.
"I was so mad at him trying to persuade me to visit his parents, who asked me to bring my children to their home. He kept saying that we visit his parents only twice a year, so we have to go regardless of the worsening virus situation. Am I the only one who is concerned about my children's safety?" Yum said.
While many gave mixed responses to the restriction, seven out of 10 evaluated that the ban on private gatherings of more than four people has helped block the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an online survey of 1,000 adults by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. However, more than half, or 56.1 percent, said the number restriction should not be applied to family meetings.
On Sunday, the health authorities announced that it would maintain Level 2.5 antivirus measures, the second-highest in its five-tier system, in the greater Seoul area and Level 2 in other regions until Feb. 14 when the Lunar New Year holiday ends.
![[INTERVIEW] Behind-the-scenes stories: How BTS concerts come to life](http://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/8044723081ec483886fa30a184d57aaa.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
