Lockdown Blights Wedding Plans

The extended lockdown measures are blighting wedding plans. Couples complain that while up to 5,000 people can attend concerts and churches a maximum of 100 people, weddings are limited to fewer than 50.

One 35-year-old resident of Seoul says he simply skipped the formal wedding altogether and just got hitched at the registry office. "How can you say weddings are a higher risk than other gatherings? I simply can't understand the restrictions for weddings only," he said.

In February, health officials raised the limit for weddings in the greater Seoul area from 50 to 100 but kept the cap on babies' traditional first birthday parties at a draconian four people. When that caused a backlash, they raised the limit to under 100 as well. But in the latest lockdown, weddings are restricted to fewer than 50 people again.

Jung Ki-suck at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital said, "It's not right to limit the number of guests depending on the type of gathering. All gatherings should be limited equally or you're just going to get more complaints and lockdown fatigue."