SEOUL — On Lunar New Year holidays, Lee Soon-ai’s pancake house in Seoul is usually packed with customers while others queue outside.
This year, however, the “pancake alley” where she and a number of competitors run their businesses is eerily quiet.
Pancakes are a key component of the family dinners that traditionally mark new year celebrations across South Korea.
But coronavirus curbs due to run until the end of the holiday include a ban on private gatherings of more than four people and on restaurant dining in the capital after 9 p.m. – and Lee’s takings are sharply down as a result.
“Our regulars used to order pancakes worth 100,000 won ($90) during the holiday, but …
Keep on reading: A flat New Year for Seoul pancake houses as Covid-19 curbs hit festivities