South Korea orders closure of nightclubs, karaoke bars amid concern over 4th COVID-19 wave

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced the curbs, which take effect on Monday for three weeks

South Korea will reimpose a ban on nightclubs, karaoke bars and other nightly entertainment facilities, authorities said on Friday, after the number of new cases surged, fanning fears over a potential fourth wave of outbreaks. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced the curbs, which take effect on Monday for three weeks, after daily new case counts climbed to a three-month high in recent days. The current 10 p.m. dining curfew and ban on gatherings of more than four people will be maintained, he said. “Signs of a fourth wave of epidemics that we had so striven to head off are drawing nearer and becoming stronger,” Mr. Chung told a daily meeting on the pandemic. “We will maintain the current distancing level, but actively reinforce various specific measures depending on the situation.”