'Beep' sound for unvaccinated people feared to violate human rights

Visitors scan QR codes of a vaccine pass app on their mobile phones to enter a restaurant in Seoul, Dec. 14. Korea Times photo by Ko Young-kwon

By Bahk Eun-ji

Criticism is rising over the government's plan to introduce a warning sound function to the vaccine pass system to check the validity period of the permit and identify unvaccinated people.

Critics say it could violate their human rights and lead to discrimination, treating unvaccinated people like shoplifters or criminals with electronic anklets.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, the 180-day validity period of a vaccine pass from the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine will take effect on Jan. 3 at multiuse facilities including restaurants and cafes, a measure to encourage people to get booster shots.

When unvaccinated people or those with expired passes scan their QR code, the scanner will beep.

The headquarters said the alarm function is expected to ease the burden on eatery owners and facility operators who have to check every customer's vaccine pass, especially during busy times.

But this has caused human rights criticisms, because the beep sound in public spaces will disclose the person's vaccination status ― which is personal information ― to other people nearby against their will.

Online users have posted critical comments, saying the government is treating unvaccinated people like a "walking virus."

"The government is dividing people into two sides ― those who have been vaccinated and those who have not, producing unconditional hatred for the latter," one user wrote.

"There are people who cannot get the vaccine due to health reasons. It is unfair to treat them like this. It is like the authorities think vaccinated people are not infected and do not carry the virus while unvaccinated people are and do ― which is not true at all when we look at the numerous breakthrough infections," another wrote.

Regarding the criticism, the headquarters said it may change the warning noise from its initial plan of a beeping sound to something "less irritating."

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