The official name of the novel coronavirus is 'COVID-19'... In Korean, it is 'Corona19' (Update)

Kim Kang-rip, Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The government has officially designated the Korean name for the novel coronavirus infection as 'Corona19.' This decision follows the World Health Organization (WHO) officially naming the disease 'COVID-19' in English.

At a regular briefing on the 12th, Kim Kang-rip, Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stated, "WHO has named the novel coronavirus COVID-19," adding, "(In Korea) we will follow this name when referring to it in English, but since the English name is somewhat long, the government has decided to call it 'Corona19' in Korean." The Korean name was decided upon by accepting the recommendation of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

The day before, WHO officially named the novel coronavirus 'COVID-19.' 'CO' stands for corona, 'VI' for virus, 'D' for disease, and '19' refers to the year 2019 when the novel coronavirus outbreak was first reported. WHO explained the rationale behind the official name, stating, "We needed to find a name that does not refer to a geographic location, animal, individual, or group of people, is pronounceable, and is related to the disease."

Deputy Head Kim said, "Going forward, our government will also keep this point in mind when establishing and implementing disease policies."