#CheerUp Daegu... Medical Staff Gathered, Masks and Warmth Poured In

Warm Waves of Support for Daegu and Gyeongbuk Amid COVID-19 Spread 'Blame Game'
Over 100 Medical Workers Join In, 119 Ambulances from Across the Country Head to Daegu

Delivery Workers Moved by Supportive Masks
Building Owners Waive or Reduce Rent
Donation Efforts Continue Despite Mask Shortage

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] In February 2020, South Korea was engulfed in a 'blame game' over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). However, on the other side of society, a quiet wave of silent compassion is also flowing gently. Warm support is pouring in from all over the country to Daegu and Gyeongbuk, which are going through difficult days due to COVID-19, and helping hands continue to reach out to neighbors who do not hesitate to face hardships, such as medical staff, small business owners, and delivery workers. These acts are not well highlighted as they are buried under voices criticizing Chinese people, Shincheonji, the government, and the ruling party.

At the forefront are the medical professionals fighting on the front lines of COVID-19. More than 100 medical personnel voluntarily gathered from all over the country at Daegu Medical Center and Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, designated as COVID-19 dedicated hospitals. Five large hospitals in the region also dispatched 120 volunteer medical staff, including doctors and nurses. Citizens are sending support to these 'angels in white' who risk infection to fight on the front lines through social networking services (SNS).

Despite the 'mask crisis,' warm hearts thinking of their neighbors have received praise. Recently, a photo titled 'Daegu Family House Front Door' was posted on Twitter, evoking quiet emotion. A quarantine mask is hanging on the front door, and a post-it note says, "Dear delivery workers, thank you for delivering precious packages. Please take care of your health and keep up the good work." Videos of 119 ambulances heading to Daegu from all over the country have been viewed more than 160,000 times and retweeted about 6,700 times. Comments such as 'Thank you, firefighters' and 'Touching' were posted on the videos.

Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun is having a tea meeting with 'Good Landlords' at Namdaemun Market in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 24th. Minister Park expressed her gratitude to the landlords who reduced rent by 20% to alleviate the difficulties faced by merchants struggling due to the impact of COVID-19. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

There is also heartwarming news of rent reductions for small business owners struggling due to COVID-19. Landlords of shops in Namdaemun Market in Seoul voluntarily decided to reduce rent by 20% for about 2,000 merchants. The representative of the large shopping complex C Building, Namdaemun Central Market Korean Ginseng Department Store, initiated the 'good rent' movement by lowering rent by 20% for 50 stores for three months. In Daegu and Jeonju, Jeonbuk, some landlords started not charging monthly rent for one month or reducing rent for three months, which has led to a 'butterfly effect' spreading throughout the region.

Various sectors of society also extended warm hands through mask support and more. An anonymous philanthropist donated 4,000 masks to the Daegu Fire Safety Headquarters for firefighters, and local governments such as Gwangju, Gangwon Province, and Jeonbuk Province shared pain by delivering masks, hand sanitizers, and daily necessities to Daegu. In the entertainment industry, donations continued from actors Lee Young-ae and Park Seo-joon, announcer Jang Sung-kyu, singer Hyomin, and others. Famous YouTubers such as pharmacist YouTuber 'Yakkurteu' and Daegu Dalseong-gun ambassador 'Bokyem' also carried out good deeds like mask sharing. Public offices launched group blood donations as blood donations sharply declined due to COVID-19. In the police alone, 872 people donated blood by last week, and numerous public institution employees from Seoul Metropolitan Council, Mapo-gu, Korea Water Resources Corporation, and others participated in blood donations.

There are also calls to continue the warm hearts of residents of Asan, Chungnam, and Jincheon, Chungbuk, who hosted Chinese evacuees from Wuhan at the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. Although there was some opposition from some residents at the time, the strength of local residents who supported the evacuees until their quarantine was lifted played a big role in overcoming it. Support for health authorities and medical staff fighting on the front lines of quarantine is also desperately needed. The strength to overcome adversity, whether from H1N1 or MERS, ultimately comes from ordinary citizens.

'#CheerUp_Daegu, #CheerUp_Gyeongbuk, #CheerUp_SouthKorea'