SMALL BUSINESSES STAGE CANDLELIGHT RALLY

[Anchor Lead]

Small business owners are protesting the expansion of the vaccine pass requirement. They staged a candlelight rally in front of the National Assembly late at night to demand the lifting of business restrictions.

[Pkg]

[Soundbite] "The government must guarantee our basic right to life!"

Some 100 owners of small businesses from across the nation staged a candlelight rally in front of the National Assembly late at night. The word "help" was spelled out in candlelight on the floor.

[Soundbite] Lee Chang-ho(Emergency committee of self-employed) : "We're holding a protest instead of running our businesses. It's very frustrating. Why can't we keep our businesses open after 9 p.m.?"

The protesters are demanding that the business curfew be lifted.

[Soundbite] Kwak No-kyung(Owner of singing room) : "Several people have already committed suicide because they could no longer endure the government's demands to close their facilities or cut their business hours."

The self-employed say they are seeing an even sharper decline in customers and earnings because of the vaccine pass requirement.

[Soundbite] (Owner of billiard hall) : "I can only keep my business opened because of a loan not profits to cover the operating expenses. Why should small business owners bare the responsibility of vaccine passes?"

The protesters attempted to march to the National Assembly, but ended the strike after clashing with the police.

[Soundbite] "Self-employed are also humans!"

An emergency committee comprising of 25 organizations of the self-employed plans to continue the lights-on protest until January 14. They will participate by keeping signboards and the lights on inside their stores and facilities after 9 p.m. The government will decide on Friday whether to extend the standing COVID-19 restrictions past the scheduled January 16 end date.