S.Korea to enact law covering loss of microbusiness owners from Covid

Seoul, Jan 27 (IANS) South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Wednesday said that the country is planning to help microbusiness owners, who were forced to stop or halt business under the tightened quarantine rules to tackle the Covid-19 resurgence here.

Chung told a press conference with foreign correspondents here that the government was preparing to legislate on covering the loss of small-business owners from the Covid-19 pandemic in accordance with the constitution.

By the country's constitution, a government is required to enact a bill covering the loss of people when their rights to property are restrained for the public interest, Xinhua reported.

The government has kept its five-tier social-distancing guidelines at the second-highest level for about two months, ordering brick-and-mortar businesses to stop or halt operation amid the Covid-19 resurgence here.

Chung recently raised the need for the legalization of the government compensation for the loss of mom-and-pop businesses, and President Moon Jae-in supported it.

The Prime Minister admitted that the government's financial assistance to small-business owners may not be enough to cover the sufferings, which they have been enduring, vowing to provide compensation that can cover their actual loss.