ANN/ THE STRAIT TIMES – South Korea will lift the mask mandate for public transportation as of Monday, ending the COVID-19 preventative measure imposed since 2020, the government announced yesterday.
“The government will lift the mask mandate starting on March 20 additionally on public transportation, including the bus and subway,” Vice-Interior Minister Han Chang-seob said during a government COVID-19 response meeting.
The types of public transportation where people are no longer required to wear masks include public buses, school buses, the subway, KTX bullet trains, taxis and airplanes.
Mandatory mask rules have been in place for public transportation since early 2020, though the current mandate was introduced in October that year.
The rule mandating face masks on mass transit systems is one of the last-remaining COVID-19 restrictions in the country.
The outdoor mask mandate was lifted in May last year, followed by the indoor mask mandate ending in January. The decision came as South Korea’s new COVID-19 cases continue a downward trend.
