Coronavirus: young South Koreans blamed as Seoul tightens curbs amid surge in cases

Cases climbed to a daily record for the second day running on Friday, with many new infections reported among those in their 20s and 30s

Observers said complacency had started to set in among young people, who have largely been excluded from the country’s vaccination roll-out

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Attendees are seen at a music festival in Seoul, South Korea, last month. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 11:19am, 9 Jul 2021Updated: 10:52pm, 9 Jul 2021

As South Korea prepared on Friday to raise antivirus restrictions in the greater Seoul area to their highest level after new Covid-19 cases climbed to a daily record for the second day running, unvaccinated young people were increasingly being blamed for spreading the disease.

Under the Level 4 restrictions, effective from Monday, residents of the capital region will be advised to stay home as much as possible, schools will be closed, public meetings will be restricted to two people after 6pm and rallies or other events will be banned. Nightclubs and bars will also be shut, while restaurants and cafes will be allowed limited seating and only takeaway services after 10pm.

“We are facing the worst-ever crisis in our fight against Covid-19”, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said at a meeting of government officials on Friday as he announced the new curbs. “I am sorry to cause pain to people living in the greater Seoul area by asking them to sacrifice normal daily life.”

People walk across a street in Seoul on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua

The country reported 1,316 new Covid-19 cases as of midnight on Thursday, up from Wednesday’s previous record of 1,275 in one day. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency chief Jeong Eun-kyeong has warned the numbers may nearly double by the end of July, in the worst-case scenario.

She said most new infections had been reported in the densely populated greater Seoul area, especially among young people in their 20s and 30s who often spread the virus while not exhibiting any symptoms themselves.