Small businesses sue gov’t for closing them down

A ballet teacher teaches college students Monday after well being authorities allowed ballet and taekwondo facilities to reopen so long as there are fewer than 9 individuals within the services. [YONHAP]

Homeowners of small companies compelled to close down through the pandemic are banding collectively to sue the federal government for monetary losses as prolonged social distancing measures went into pressure Monday.
 
A number of attorneys say greater than 500 individuals have joined lawsuits looking for compensation up to now, with lots of extra planning to take part. They embody house owners of hagwon (personal cram colleges), indoor gyms and Pilates facilities, which have confronted an ever-evolving array of enterprise restrictions from well being authorities over the previous a number of weeks as every day coronavirus circumstances surge.
 
The central authorities final Saturday introduced that the better Seoul space comprising Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi will stay topic to Degree 2.5 measures — the second-highest degree within the five-tier social distancing scheme — for an additional two weeks from Monday to Jan. 17, whereas many of the remainder of the nation will stay topic to Degree 2 guidelines throughout the identical interval.
 
The 5 ranges are Degree 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and three.
 
Underneath Degree 2.5 guidelines enforced in better Seoul, all indoor health facilities are compelled to shut all through the complete day, whereas web cafes have to shut at 9 p.m. Hagwon school rooms, taekwondo and ballet colleges can solely open for in-person studying on the situation there are 9 individuals or fewer in the complete facility, with all courses being held earlier than 9 p.m.
 
Hagwon courses that particularly cater to college students getting ready for imminent faculty entrance exams will be held with out the nine-person restrict, however should house out their college students and shut at 9 p.m.
 
Underneath Degree 2 guidelines enforced in most areas exterior better Seoul, indoor health facilities should shut at 9 p.m. Web cafes and hagwon school rooms can open all through the day however should house out their clients, and consuming isn’t allowed.
 
A bunch of 187 hagwon house owners in better Seoul sued the federal government on Dec. 14 and 163 joined the lawsuit final Thursday to ask for five million received ($4,600) every, or 1.75 billion received in whole.
 
Final Wednesday, a bunch of 153 indoor health heart house owners sued the federal government, demanding 5 million received every.
 
One other group of web cafe house owners lately stated they had been discussing comparable authorized motion, and so have house owners of indoor golf driving ranges, who’ve been compelled to close down their companies on account of Degree 2.5 social distancing measures.
 
Tune Gyeong-hwa, chair of the board of administrators of an indoor golf driving vary cooperative, advised the JoongAng Ilbo that about 100 proprietors are anticipated to hitch the lawsuit.
 
Nam Il, the pinnacle of a kickboxing heart in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, stated he was asking gymnasium house owners within the space to type a bunch to protest on the streets. If the federal government refuses their name to reopen, Nam stated, they’d sue the federal government for damages.
  
“For small enterprise house owners like us, it’s a matter of life or dying,” stated Nam. “Authorities officers are simply going round slapping us with enterprise shutdown orders with out contemplating the fact.”
 
The plight of health facilities gained contemporary consideration Sunday when information a couple of Daegu gymnasium proprietor committing suicide unfold on-line, elevating questions as as to if he died on account of monetary struggles.
 
Daegu police stated the proprietor, who additionally ran a rehab remedy heart, was discovered useless at round 7 p.m. final Friday in his gymnasium. Officers stated they had been investigating the exact reason for his dying, whereas ruling out any probability of foul play.
 
BY JEONG JIN-HO   [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]