Korea to allow baseball fans to watch games live without mask

Mask mandates for outdoor gatherings or events with 50 or more people are about to be lifted in South Korea within this month at the earliest. People would soon be able to attend concerts or sports events, such as soccer or baseball matches, without wearing masks.

On Monday, the disease control authorities announced that the government is working on “lifting the mask mandates for events or gatherings of more than 49 people,” following the slowdown of the summer wave of COVID-19 in the country. The mandates are highly likely to be eased before the start of the Korea Baseball Organization postseason in September at the earliest and in the middle of next month at the latest.

The government lifted the indoor mask mandates on May 2, but people were still required to wear masks when attending gatherings of 50 or more. “It might be difficult for us to lift indoor mask mandates right now, but the current circumstances may afford outdoor gatherings of people with no mask,” said a public official. The number of daily confirmed cases, which hovered around 200,000 last month, fell to 19,470 on Monday.

The government has recently begun a review on dropping COVID-19 test requirements for inbound travelers after arrival. The authorities lifted the pre-arrival PCR test mandate this month but kept the mandatory PCR tests within 24 hours after the arrival. But there have been constant requests that the post-arrival test requirements should also be lifted to attract foreign tourists for economic stimulation.


Keun-Hyung Yoo noel@donga.com