<Anchor>
From tomorrow (20th), which is
Monday, you can freely put on and take off your mask inside buses and subways. It's been two years and five months since mask-wearing became mandatory. However, in hospitals and other medical institutions, masks are still required.

I'm a journalist.

<Reporter>
A subway station in
Seoul, employees put up posters announcing the lifting of the mandatory wearing of masks in electric cars.

Until now, masks could only be removed outside electric cars, but from tomorrow, the obligation to wear them will be lifted even inside electric cars.

Wearing masks on public transportation and airplanes, including buses and taxis, including subways, is also voluntary.

It's been two years and five months since the obligation to wear it came into existence in October 2.

Sending transportation card tags announcing the obligation to wear masks,

[Please wear a mask on the train.]

Announcements in history will also be suspended from tomorrow.

Reactions from citizens are mixed.

[Kim Su-ji/Citizen using public transportation: I'm still a little nervous, so I think I'll still write and commute to work.]

[Jung Seung-jung/Citizen using public transportation: You've been frustrated, I want you to take it off feeling liberated.]

Many taxi drivers who receive customers in confined spaces are still cautious.

[Taxi driver: Because there are several customers... I think it's better for the time being to do (masks) for each other and for me.]

Along with public transport, the obligation to wear it will also be lifted in open pharmacies in large facilities such as grocery stores and subway stations.

Quarantine authorities said that since the lifting of the indoor mask mandate in late January, they have taken into account that COVID-5 cases have continued to decline and autonomous mask wearing has been achieved.

However, during rush hour when there is a high level of congestion, voluntary wearing of masks was recommended.

In medical institutions such as pharmacies and hospitals, the obligation to wear masks will remain in place for the time being.

The government will consider ways to recover from daily life, including a seven-day quarantine for confirmed cases, and will announce it later this month.

(Video Interview: Kang Dong-chul, Video Editing: Lee Sang-min, CG: Kang Kyung-rim)