2020, K-SUMMER VACATION

Summer vacation adds vigor to everyday life. Airports are the busiest during this time of the year. In fact, last summer, a record number of people went through Incheon International Airport in Korea, with the average daily number of passengers reaching 210,000.
However, this year things look different. The fear of the highly infectious novel coronavirus is discouraging people from spending time outdoors. However, the fatigue caused by the prolonged pandemic is also pushing people to look for respite.

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Kwon Jun-wook (Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention): We are concerned about new outbreaks during the vacation season. We urge the public to travel in small family groups to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and have a safe vacation.

The government is continuously urging the public to follow safety rules during this vacation season. The way people spend their summer vacation this year will be profoundly different from previous years. How can we effectively prevent cluster infections while making the best of our summer vacations? How can the central and local governments, businesses and the public make this summer safe but enjoyable?

Haeundae Beach, the number one vacation spot in the nation. Korea is surrounded by water on three sides and Haeundae comes in amongst the top three most popular beaches in the country.

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Park Hyo-eun (Vacationer): Definitely, Haeundae.

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Lee Ye-rim (Vacationer): I like the sea waves and the vast sand beach.

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Kim Chae-won (Vacationer): I love to play in the ocean.

Every summer, Haeundae is visited by tens of thousands of holiday-makers daily. What is being done this summer to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

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Kim Ki-hwan (Haeundae-gu District Ward): The Haeundae District Ward is taking various measures to prevent COVID-19. We have installed banners and signboards urging people to maintain social distance. More than 100 workers are assigned daily to provide guidance on precautions.

At every entrance to Haeundae Beach, the staff monitor visitors to make sure they follow precautions.

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Put on your mask.

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You can only enter if you wear a mask.

The staff crack down on mask wearing around the clock. Those who fail to comply must pay a fine of up to three million won.

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Kim Yeon-jin (Vacationer): (What do you think about wearing a mask on a beach?) I think it’s right. It’s crowded inside, and the virus is transmitted through droplets. I think masks must be worn even if it’s hard.

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Put on your mask higher, please. Thank you.

Most beach-goers are willing to cooperate to prevent infections.

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Kim Sook-hee (Safety staff): As you can see, most of the people are wearing masks. One or two come without masks, but when we ask them to comply, they do it.

The way beaches operate inside has also changed – they now provide a rental service.

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Here you are. Take your ticket and borrow what you need over there.

These special kiosks can conduct public health surveillance.

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Do we need to borrow a float? (We need a float.)

Everyone who wants to borrow beach items must provide their personal information, undergo temperature checks and use hand sanitizers. Each parasol has an ID number so that beach-goers stay at designated spots, like in movie theaters. This enables health authorities to conduct public health surveillance.

Last year, Haeundae Beach was crowded with some 4200 parasols. This year, the parasol setup looks completely different.

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Kim Ki-hwan (Haeundae-gu District Ward): Last year, parasols were installed close to one another to make a shade. But this year, because of COVID-19, the distance between parasols must be kept at two meters to abide by social distancing rule.

Only 1800 parasols were installed this year to maintain that safe distance amongst visitors. What do beach-goers think about the mandatory distance between parasols?

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Park So-hyun (Vacationer): It was inconvenient before, as the parasols were too close to one another when we came here with our family and friends. But now it’s easier to move around.

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Kim Chae-won (Vacationer): I like it more when the beach is less crowded. It’s more fun when you don’t keep bumping into other floats.

Beach-goers are adapting well to changes brought about by the pandemic.

A public shower facility.

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36.5 degrees.

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36.4 degrees.

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Your temperature is normal. You may enter. (Okay.)

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Kim Han-soo (Staff, Tourism Facility Management Office): People who are ill must be screened through temperature checks because it’s a small, confined space.

There is an important rule here. It’s none other than regular break times. Officials from the local government clean and disinfect the shower rooms on a regular basis.

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Kim Han-soo (Staff, Tourism Facility Management Office):　We do it almost every day. Break times are scheduled, so we try to do it at designated time slots. We usually disinfect in the afternoon when it’s more crowded.

A timetable is posted on the official social media site to inform visitors of break times. Restrooms are disinfected and cleaned three times a day.

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Chung Jung-won (Vacationer): I don’t need to worry when changing, because I can see how well they disinfect this place. I can swim and wash as much as I need.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the local government and the public, Haeundae Beach is a safe vacation spot where precautionary measures and social distancing are followed strictly.

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Kim Ki-hwan (Haeundae-gu District Ward): Visitors at Haeundae Beach are cooperating well. Not a single case of COVID-19 has occurred at Haeundae so far. We will continue to keep this beach virus-free.

Other beaches in Korea are also doing their best to keep the virus at bay. At Sokcho Beach, for example, eating food is banned, and there are disinfecters installed around the beach to prevent the spread of infections.

At water parks with indoor and outdoor pools, extra precautions are required as the virus spreads easily in crowded spaces. So, why do people take the chance to visit water parks?

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Bae Kyung-joo (Vacationer): Because it’s summer. We want to make special memories and enjoy playing in the water.

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Lee Young-hee (Vacationer): We stayed at home for about eight months because of the pandemic. We came here because our kids are on vacation.

This location is doing everything possible to ensure that vacationers can have fun in a safe way.

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Please, put on your mask. Follow our safety guidelines through social distancing.

Stickers attached to the floor help visitors maintain a safe distance.

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Kang Kyung-woo (Water park manager): When entering our facility, each visitor must check in on an electronic visitor log in line with the government’s recommendation.　We also conduct temperature checks at the entrance using a thermal camera and thermometers.

After a temperature check, visitors must disinfect their hands with hand sanitizers, a must-have item in 2020. Everyone is required to receive a protective face mask that must be worn even in the water. Masks distributed here for free are not just any other ordinary masks.

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Kang Kyung-woo (Water park manager): We produced masks for water play, the first of its kind in the nation, and acquired a KC safety certificate. These masks are made of microfiber, 1/100th the thickness of a hair, and fiber mesh, which allow for easy breathing while also preventing droplets from spreading. They are also waterproof and feel comfortable when playing in the water.

Unlike regular face masks, these masks for water play are waterproof and help prevent droplets from spreading around. What do visitors think of the first, made-in-Korea, waterproof face masks?

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Kim Young-seong (Vacationer): I was worried it might be difficult to breathe in a mask when using rides, but I had no trouble breathing at all.

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Ko Mi-hyun (Vacationer): I thought it would be uncomfortable, but it’s not as stifling as I thought and not uncomfortable at all.

When it comes to water rides used by many people, extra quarantine measures are required. Items for public use are thoroughly disinfected prior to their use.

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Seo Seung-hyun (Water park staff): We disinfect the items several times a day at designated time slots, because visitors may be concerned about hygiene.

Thanks to disinfected rides, holiday-makers can have a whale of a time at the pool. Sunbeds and safety jackets, which involve direct physical contact, are sterilized on a daily basis.

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Seo Ki-young (Water park staff): We sterilize them four times a day, twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. Life jackets are washed after each use. We wash and disinfect 10,000 to 20,000 life jackets every day.

To ensure social distancing in changing rooms, the number of lockers in usage was reduced to one-fifth of last year’s. This is necessary to minimize the risk of infections in confined spaces.

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Chung Jae-hoon (Professor, Gachon University): In Korea, community spread is not as severe as in other countries, because Koreans make sure to wear masks and the authorities conduct epidemiological investigations to stop the spread of the virus. However, there can be new outbreaks anytime, as COVID-19 is a highly infectious virus.

Concerns about crowded vacation spots are rising, as many Koreans have their summer vacation in the late July-early August period. The government is doing everything possible to minimize cluster infections at popular tourist spots.

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Yoon Tae-ho (Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters) : We will ask 19,375 businesses nationwide with more than 100 employees to have a staggered vacation period between early July and early September.

There is also a website where the public can see in real time how crowded beaches across the nation are to avoid the most crowded hours and areas.

Indoor amusement parks are also scrambling to ensure safety.

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Put on your mask to cover your nose as well, please.

This amusement park was closed once after it was made apparent that one of its visitors had tested positive for COVID-19. That’s why the park is thoroughly implementing precautions and following the recommendations of the government.

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Baek Byung-hyun (Visitor): There are hand sanitizer gels at the entrance of each ride, and visitors are repeatedly urged to wear masks. The public complies with the guidelines, which is the core value of Korean quarantine.

The summer of 2020 in Korea will be safe thanks to the thorough quarantine measures to prevent infections at vacation spots and the pro-active participation of the public.