It is probably going to be a while before everyone takes off their masks because of the group culture in South Korea where many people don’t want to stand out from the crowd:
It may be that news of the mandate’s lift on Monday hasn’t reached all, as some wearing masks may still think the measure is in place. Or it may be that the eased quarantine regulation simply needs more time for more members of the public to put themselves at ease and expose their faces more comfortably.
Korea Times
“I feel weird that I don’t have to wear it anymore,” one of the passers-by wearing her mask in Seoul told The Korea Times, asking not to be named. “I think I’ve become accustomed to wearing it so I was reluctant to go outside without it this morning. I want to take time and see how others are doing before I decide to go mask-free.”
You can read more at the link, but once the weather heats up more people will probably be clamoring to take their masks off.
There are still a few areas where masks are required like the CDC and medical facilities, but for most areas on post masks are not required as of this week:
The U.S. military in South Korea dropped its mask mandate Monday on its installations as cases of COVID-19 continue to decline throughout the country.
Masks are no longer required on any U.S. installation or facility, although individual commanders may mandate them in high-traffic indoor areas, such as gyms, commissaries, libraries and similar facilities, according to an announcement by U.S. Forces Korea on its website.
USFK personnel are advised to consult their garrisons for exceptions to the updated policy.
Anyone affiliated with the U.S. military must still wear a mask while outside U.S. installations. South Korea requires people to wear face masks while outdoors and indoors in public.
Defense Department schools on U.S. bases in South Korea are also doing away with the mask requirement starting Wednesday, although students may choose to wear masks at school or on school buses, according to memos from individual school principals.
Stars & Stripes
You can read more at the link.
It looks like for a number of servicemembers it will be back to wearing masks indoors regardless of vaccination status:
The Pentagon on Wednesday announced it would once again require all individuals to wear face coverings when indoors at Defense Department facilities in locations deemed high risk by federal health officials for the spread of coronavirus.
The directive from Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Wednesday walks back guidance issued in May that allowed service members and others who had been fully vaccinated against the virus to forgo mask-wearing at Defense Department facilities worldwide. It comes one day after the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance encouraging vaccinated Americans to don masks indoors in certain locations where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly.
Stars & Stripes
You can read more at the link, but no word in the article on how this new policy will be implemented for troops stationed overseas.
It appears even South Korea has anti-maskers though I suspect alcohol is probably more to blame for this confrontation on the subway:
A man in his 50s attacked two passengers who asked him to wear a mask on a line no.2 subway train during morning commute.
The man got angry when he was asked to put on a mask and began slapping the passenger on the face multiple times with his slipper.
Another passenger sitting nearby was also assaulted and verbally abused by the man who attempted to strangle him.
A total of 349 people have been arrested for face mask-related conflicts over the last three months since May 26 when the government applied a “No mask, no ride” policy on all public transportation.
Among them, 164 people were held for assault.
Korea Times
I don’t see how a mesh mask can do much good at stopping droplet transmission, but according to Rep. Kim Mi-ae, she says the masks stops 97.1% of stopping ultra-fine particles:
The use of face masks for protection against COVID-19 has emerged as a subject of political controversy among supporters of the ruling and opposition parties.
Korea Times
Some politicians have come under fire this week for choosing to wear masks which are seen as not providing adequate protection.
Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition United Future Party (UPF), accompanying the party’s interim chief Kim Chong-in, visited the office of Jung Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Osong, North Chungcheong Province, Aug. 21.
Photos of them sitting side by side across from Jung at her office angered citizens because Rep. Kim was wearing a mesh mask ― a type of mask adopted by some recently because of the hot weather ― but they have not been certified as effective in preventing droplet transmission.
You can read more at the link.
This week if you plan to use mass transit or airplanes in South Korea you better bring a mask:
Starting Tuesday, people without a face mask will be barred from taking a bus, taxi or subway train, in a nationwide measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus through public transport.
Korea Times
The measure will be extended to airline passengers ― domestic and international lines ― from Wednesday.
Operators of these services will be entitled to ban people not wearing a mask. To make sure the system works, the government will not penalize operators based on complaints from people who are refused permission to board.
You can read more at the link.
