SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN BUSAN HOLD STRIKE

[Anchor Lead]

Small business owners in Busan who have suffered enormous losses during the pandemic held a strike on Wednesday night to protest COVID-19 restrictions. They say they are struggling to make ends meet without breaking safety rules, but now they are pushed to the brink.

[Pkg]

It’s already late at night. But, cars arrive one by one, driving into a parking lot at an ecological park. Banners rejecting COVID-19 restrictions can be seen on the hood of their cars. The people gathered here own and operate Internet cafes, bars and restaurants in Busan. They decided to stage a strike because they’ve been pushed to the brink by the prolonged social distancing measures, which were recently raised to its highest level.

[Soundbite] Woo Seung-hyup(Owner of Internet cafe) : "We can't take this anymore. We’re all on the same page. It’s an outcry of frustration."

Small business owners have demanded so far that their business hours be extended, because it’s crucial for their revenues. But the government has even shortened them further by another hour, to close by 9PM, prompting outrage and frustration.

[Soundbite] Chung So-young(Bar owner) : "It’s been a year and a half. They should come up with new ways for everyone to survive. Instead, they force us to close our places of business in the evening just because customers need to eat without masks on."

Some 150 small business owners are estimated to have participated in the rally. The procession of their cars crisscrossed downtown Busan and headed to Busan City Hall. Police dispatched six units to the site of the rally and major intersections, and ordered the protesters to disperse. All mass rallies except for one-person strikes are currently banned in Busan under Level 4 restrictions. Police will investigate the organizers and participants of the rally for alleged violations of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act and the Assembly and Demonstration Act.