[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] '28 vs 833'. This is the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) that increased in just 11 days.
Surpassing 1,000 cases is only a matter of time, and it is difficult to even predict how high that number will rise. Until before the 11th, no one anticipated the current COVID-19 "chaos." The government, companies, and citizens were all the same. Hearing news of China plunged into a national crisis due to COVID-19 felt like someone else's problem. It only evoked a sense of sympathy, thinking "how unfortunate."
Criticism has emerged that the government played a part in this complacent thinking. The biggest reason is President Moon Jae-in's mention of the end of COVID-19.
On the 13th, at an economic meeting attended by conglomerate heads, President Moon said, "Although there are still many areas to be cautious about, such as overseas inflow, domestic quarantine management seems to have entered a relatively stable phase," and expressed confidence, saying, "Because the quarantine authorities are maintaining vigilance and doing their best until the end, COVID-19 will end soon."
He added, "Now is the time for the government and the business community to unite and make efforts to revive the economic recovery flow," and urged, "I hope that the facility investments planned before the COVID-19 situation will proceed without disruption."
The conglomerate heads responded accordingly. Five days after the meeting, SK Chairman Chey Tae-won visited as many as seven places, including pubs and restaurants near the SK headquarters in Seorin-dong, Seoul, in Dae-dong and Mugyo-dong, for dinner with employees that evening. This showed that Chairman Chey was contributing to the recovery of the livelihood economy by holding gatherings with employees amid the government's remarks that the livelihood economy was freezing due to COVID-19.
This situation did not last long. On the same day, a large number of confirmed cases emerged from the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, shocking the government, companies, and citizens. From then on, the number of confirmed cases expanded exponentially. South Korea was no longer a safe zone from COVID-19.
Meanwhile, South Korea's international credibility hit rock bottom. Koreans began to be affected by COVID-19 in various parts of the world. In Africa, dozens of Koreans were even denied entry. Even in China, Korea's porous quarantine system is being ridiculed. There are 15 countries that have banned entry of Koreans.
The early end of COVID-19 is out of reach. Even mentioning the word "end" feels like a distant matter. The government must reflect now and re-examine the quarantine system from the beginning. Diplomatic efforts are also needed for our citizens who are being denied entry abroad.
Citizens must also realize this. As seen in this COVID-19 crisis, the only one you can trust is yourself. Only by thoroughly managing personal hygiene can you protect yourself and your family's well-being.
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