People wearing face masks cross the Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, April 15. AP-Yonhap

Companies here are preparing for a post-pandemic office life in line with the decision by the government to remove more than two years of virus-related restrictions.

Starting Monday, limits on social gatherings and business operations will be gone while the mask mandate will remain in place, as the government has concluded the Omicron-driven COVID-19 pandemic has entered a more manageable stage, and that such limits have caused too much financial pain.

Large conglomerates have already begun to dial back their in-house social distancing rules, considering the apparent retreat of the Omicron wave.

Earlier this month, steel giant POSCO ended its remote working policy in its Seoul office following the government's relaxed social distancing rules.

The steelmaker maintained some precautionary measures, such as exempting immunocompromised workers, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions from returning to the office.

To reduce crowding, the company has put in place flexible working hours and a "smart office" system where workers do not necessarily go to their office but work from the nearest office branch to their home instead.

Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia relaxed their policies on domestic business trips, trainings and meetings, while maintaining their remote working policy at 50 percent or more. They no longer require business travelers to get vaccinated.

Last Monday, Samsung Electronics also joined the corporate move to roll back health protocols meant to mitigate coronavirus transmission.