Christmas services canceled in Seoul churches as COVID-19 surges

SEOUL — As the stricter social distancing scheme that goes into effect Tuesday does not allow houses of worship in the greater Seoul area to hold in-person Christmas services, some Protestant churches are calling the order “unrealistic.”

After the government raised social distancing measures to Level 2.5, the second highest in the five-tier system, in the Seoul metropolitan area in an effort to slow down the fast spreading wave of COVID-19, churches in the greater Seoul area will not be able to hold in-person services for three weeks beginning Tuesday.

Under the Level 2.5 plan, only up to 20 people can attend in-person activities organized by religious facilities. Small group gatherings and dining together are prohibited.

The United Christian Churches of Korea, one of the biggest associations of Protestant churches in the country, issued a statement Sunday, calling the Level 2.5 measure regarding religious services an “unrealistic regulation.”

The UCCK called for the government to regulate the number of people that can attend a church service considering each religious facility’s space and its infectious disease prevention capabilities.

“(The government) should suggest a tightly targeted model that does not infringe on the freedom of religion and daily lives of the people,” the statement read. “We should prepare for the post-pandemic, recognizing the importance of not just sanitary, physical disinfection but also psychological, mental disinfection.”

Reactions from worshipers to the strict social distancing rule are mixed. While some argue that the government is imposing stricter restriction on churches, some agree with the need for tight restrictions in the fight against the virus.

“We also are not happy with the full ban on in-person services. However, online services do not undermine the faith of congregations,” the National Council of Churches in Korea official Son Seung-ho said.

The NCCK is a Christian ecumenical organization in Korea.

“The government cannot provide individual guidelines for each church. The UCCK cannot decide for its churches. Churches should follow the governmental guidelines to fight the spread of the virus,” Son said.

Though the government had previously implemented two-week long restrictions, the scheme will continue for three weeks in an effort to curb Christmas and year-end gatherings.

The Level 2.5 response was necessary to “keep the health care system from collapsing,” Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said at a press briefing held Sunday.

-The Korea Herald

S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller: US home prices rose 3.7% in May

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices grew more slowly in May, but continued to show resilience in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index rose 3.7% in from a year earlier. That’s a drop from the 3.9% increase in April and it was a smaller gain than economists had expected. Still, home prices have risen steadily despite the pandemic and lockdowns that have badly damaged the American economy.

Phoenix led the way with a 9% annual gain in home prices, followed by Seattle (up 6.8%) and Tampa (up 6%). Chicago registered the smallest increase: 1.3%.

The May slowdown, however, broke a streak in rising sales that stretched back to September. Craig Lazzara of S&P Dow Jones Indices said it was too soon to know if April was a high water mark, or if May was “a slight deviation from an otherwise intact trend.″

The National Association of Realtors reported last week that sales of existing U.S. homes shot up 20.7% last month, snapping a three-month streak of falling sales. Mortgage rates are near historic lows.

“In a remarkable show of resilience, the housing market has stared the pandemic right in the eye and hasn’t blinked,” said Matthew Speakman, economist at the real estate firm Zillow. “Record-low mortgage rates and a shortage of available homes have fueled competition amongst buyers in the spring and early summer, leading to homes flying off the market at their fastest pace in years and home prices to continue to rise.″

The 20-city index released Tuesday excluded prices from the Detroit metropolitan area index because of delays at the recording office in Wayne County, which includes Detroit.

The Case-Shiller index is composed of a three-month average of home prices, so this month’s data includes figures from March, April and May.

-Associated Press

China: Dating apps turn hot during viral outbreak

BEIJING — Zhang Xiaojing is a 33-year-old accountant for a foreign trade company in Beijing who has been spending time scrolling through her dating apps since the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Bottom line, Zhang is looking to find a boyfriend and get married as soon as possible.


“I used to participate in some offline dating activities during the weekends, but almost all gatherings have been prohibited. Cinemas and bars were shut down to curb the spread of the deadly virus. I have to remain indoors to avoid getting infected.”

Zhang lives alone and feels very bored so she downloaded several online dating apps. They included Momo and Tantan in a bid to make new friends, and to give her some relief from the stress and loneliness.

She noted that Tantan’s way of finding dates, unlike traditional dating websites, is more interesting and simple.

“You just browse the profiles recommended to you based on your location, distance and gender preferences. Swipe right if you like someone, and swipe left to show you are not interested.”


“I chat only with the people that I am matched with, and can also choose to hide my contacts. The app adds other functionalities which people can use for free. For instance, I can play games, upload pictures or texts and share videos on it.”

For Zhang, online romance in the time of the contagion has become more than just finding love. It is also a source of comfort and connection.

Online dating apps have seen a significant increase in usage due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Industry experts said the “cloud matchmaking” method, which includes livestreaming and short videos formats which comply with the habits of users and satisfy the needs of self-presentation, is gaining tractions among singles.

A report released by mobile dating app Tantan said the average time people spent on the app in early and mid February increased over 30 percent compared with the average usage during normal times. The number of users surged 60 percent during the peak hour which often runs from midnight to 1 am.


During the outbreak, those born after the period around 1995 and after 2000 have become the top users of Tantan. They recorded a more than 20 percent increase in messages sent and daily matches. Another notable fact is that the number of older users who came back rose by 25.9 percent compared with the level during normal times.

Founded in 2014, Tantan focuses on one-on-one interactions and targets students and white-collar workers. Women accounted for nearly half of the total users. So far, it has 10.5 million daily active users and 35 million monthly active users.

Data from iResearch Consulting Group showed the revenue of China’s online dating and matchmaking industry will increase from 4 billion yuan ($567 million) in 2017 to 5.3 billion yuan in 2020.

For singles, the pressure to get married usually increases when they return home during the Spring Festival holiday for family reunions. Their parents, grandparents and other relatives badger them about their personal lives to nosily inquire why they have not gotten married.

Zhenai.com, a popular matchmaking application website, said its active users reached 10 million during the Lunar New Year holiday (Jan 24-Feb 2), an increase of 39.3 percent compared with the same period of last year. More than 10,300 people found highly compatible matches on the app.

Wu Linguang, CEO of online matchmaking and dating platform Baihe Jiayuan Network Group Co, said video and livestreaming dating services have been launched to lure customers during the epidemic.

“Generally speaking, the emotional demand of singles reaches a peak on Valentine’s Day and lasts until the end of February,” Wu said.

Statistics from the company showed the time users spend on video dating rose 29.8 percent during the Spring Festival holiday, compared with the data from the festive season last year. The average usage time skyrocketed 93 percent versus the time from the same period a year ago.

Some 50 percent of single men and 33 percent of single women were lonely as they could not go out during the outbreak, it added.

Surfing the internet has become a major way to help ease their anxiety, with 30 percent of singles keen about making friends online. About 30 percent of men and 41 percent of women have switched from attending offline activities to online dating.


“The epidemic has given a big boost to the online dating apps, which are usually in the off season in the first quarter and gradually gain popularity after the Spring Festival,” said Yang Xin, an analyst with Beijing-based internet consultancy Analysys.

Yang believes that with rapidly increasing traffic, mobile app companies should think of how to hang onto their customers when the pandemic ends.

-China Daily

All beaches in Phuket closed indefinitely

BANGKOK — All beaches in the world famous tourist destination Phuket will be closed indefinitely, provincial Governor Phakkhaphong Thawiphat and president of Phuket Communicable Disease Committee have decided.

The closures extend to zoos and all venues of animal shows for tourists.


The Bangla walking street in Kathu district is also closed.

“The decision is part of an effort to better control and prevent the spread of the new coronavirus,” he said. “By the governor’s authority under sections 22 and 35 of Communicable Disease Act BE 2558, these places will be closed temporarily until further notice.

Those who violate the order could be jailed for up to one year, fined up to Bt100,000, or both, the governor said in a statement.

All nine airlines have suspended their flights while most hotels in the province have closed for service and they will not receive new tourists.

The governor sought cooperation from both Thais and foreigners staying in Phuket to remain indoors from 8pm to 3am from March 28 until further notice, except in cases of emergency.

Meanwhile, the Public Health authorities reported 143 new cases in the past 24 hours on Sunday, bringing the total Covid-19 cases in Thailand to 1,388. One more patient died, bringing total deaths to seven nationwide.

Earlier on Tuesday (March 24), the Phuket committee had approved a proposal to close all high-risk places in the province from Sunday until March 31 in order to prevent people contracting Covid-19. The places the province has closed are: malls, pharmacies, shops, entertainment venues, spas, restaurants, amulet markets, golf clubs, pet-service shops, beauty clinics, barber and tattoo shops, and swimming pools of both government and private organizations.

As of Sunday (March 29), confirmed infections in Phuket reached 53, the highest among southern provinces. Seven of them have recovered and returned to their homes, 46 are under treatment with no serious cases. Test results are awaited of 97 persons.

A total of 944 people are under scrutiny while 794 have tested negative, according to the Phuket provincial health authority.

Asia News Network