Kim said the current 9:00 p.m. curfew for dining out at restaurants and other businesses will be pushed back one hour to 10:00 p.m. from Saturday through March 13, although the government will maintain the six-person limit on private gatherings.

The official added that further changes may also occur, depending on how the contagious Omicron variant, which has led to recent increases in the number of infected patients, develops in the future.

However, the government was now driven by the reaction of local business, which has financially suffered due to the restrictions.

A change was inevitable, given the increasing financial difficulties faced by small traders and the self-employed, Kim explained.

According to the executive, the government will monitor the spread of the virus under the modified rules for the next three weeks, so the Covid-19 safety protocols may still remain in place beyond that period.

Separately, Kim asked the National Assembly to quickly review and confirm the size of an additional budget to be used to help small traders.

Daily Covid-19 cases in the Asian country rose rapidly this week to surpass the 100,000 mark on Thursday.

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