Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Small concern owners signifier a rally against the government's societal distancing rules adjacent the Government Complex successful Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021. Hundreds of tiny concern owners rallied connected Wednesday, calling for the withdrawal of curfews and different strict COVID-19 restrictions connected restaurants, cafes, gyms and different facilities. The signs work "Compensate for loss." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

SEOUL – Hundreds of tiny concern owners rallied successful South Korea's superior connected Wednesday, calling for the withdrawal of a curfew and pugnacious coronavirus restrictions connected restaurants, cafes, gyms and different facilities.

The protesters pumped their fists successful the aerial and chanted, “Guarantee the close to live!” and “Scrap restrictions connected concern operations!”

Some jeered erstwhile a lawmaker took the podium to explicate assistance packages projected by the governing enactment statesmanlike candidate. But nary large unit oregon clashes with constabulary erupted.

Under existent societal distancing guidelines, up to 299 radical are allowed to articulation rallies but each indispensable beryllium afloat vaccinated.

On Saturday, South Korea reimposed its toughest societal distancing rules to effort to power a record-breaking surge of the coronavirus. Most caller cases successful South Korea are inactive the delta variant, but wellness officials accidental the caller omicron variant could go the ascendant strain successful a fewer months.

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The restored curbs see a prohibition connected backstage gatherings of 5 oregon much people, a 9 p.m. curfew for restaurants, java shops and karaoke venues, and required impervious of vaccination for introduction to restaurants and different businesses.

The authorities past week announced assistance packages including 1 cardinal won ($839) each to concern owners who person suffered little income owed to COVID-19 restrictions. Small concern owners said that’s not capable to offset their losses.

“The fiscal assistance indispensable beryllium drastically accrued ... determination should beryllium arsenic overmuch compensation arsenic our losses,” Oh Se-hee, person of an relation of tiny concern owners, said successful a code astatine the Seoul rally.

The existent restrictions are to past until Jan. 2. Oh said tiny concern owners volition clasp thoroughfare rallies nationwide if the authorities extends the curbs.

On Wednesday, wellness authorities reported 7,456 caller COVID-19 cases successful the past 24 hours, continuing an upward trend. A grounds 1,063 patients were successful superior oregon captious condition.

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South Korea has confirmed 234 cases of the caller omicron variant.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.