As the South Korean government relaxes its social distancing rules and implements the “everyday life quarantine” scheme, national cultural facilities across the country have reopened its doors to visitors, albeit with strict measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Under the “everyday life quarantine” scheme, people are allowed to engage in a certain level of economic and social activities while maintaining distance.
At the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (NMMC), group visits are banned and the museum has limited the number of visitors per hour to 50 people. Also, all visitors are required to wear masks, and are encouraged to make reservations beforehand, stating the specific time of visit and the exhibition that they want to view.
Bae Won-jung, one of the curators at the NMMC, said that the restrictions were in line with the government’s policy of distance keeping, adding that staff will be present in each exhibition room to ensure compliance.
It is still unclear if the new measure will become “the new normal” even after the pandemic blows over.
Major outdoor events like Goyang International Flower Festival has also been delayed and replaced with a drive-through flower market to help buoy flower farms suffering from the pandemic.
The new initiative, launched jointly by Gyeonggi-do Province, Gyeonggi agroFood Institute, Goyang City and the Goyang International Flower Foundation, took place from May 2-10.
Goyang International Flower Foundation Park CEO Dong-gil said: “This drive-through market was devised to make up for the postponement of the festival while preventing the spread of the virus. It is also a good opportunity for buyers to purchase high-quality flowers at low prices.”
This year’s 14th edition of the nation’s largest flower festival was originally to be held between late April to early May. It will now take place from September 25 to October 11 at Ilsan Lake Park.
