Is South Korea, a Model COVID-19 Response Country, Being Checked by Neighboring Countries Like France and Japan?

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] As South Korea emerges as a model country for COVID-19 prevention, some countries continue to show jealousy. This contrasts with most countries requesting cooperation from South Korea.

Earlier, Japan sparked controversy by stating that if the South Korean government supports the provision of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits for diagnosing COVID-19 infection, it would first conduct a performance evaluation before utilizing them. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare stated, "Even if the South Korean government provides PCR test kits, we need to verify whether they have the same precision as Japan's PCR tests."

This announcement by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare caused controversy as it was revealed to have been made without prior discussions between the Japanese and South Korean governments. This is due to the strained relations between the two countries following Japan's export restrictions on South Korea last year and South Korea's response with a boycott of Japanese products.

Additionally, public sentiment deteriorated rapidly after some media reports claimed that the South Korean government would support Japan with masks, prompting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hastily issue a statement to clarify the situation. One media outlet reported that the South Korean government conveyed the possibility of mask support to members of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and Ministry of Foreign Affairs through influential figures in the Korean-Japanese community. In response to the rapidly worsening public sentiment, with comments such as "Other countries can receive support, but not Japan," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "There has been no attempt by our government to provide mask support to the Japanese government."

Remarks by the renowned French literary critic and former professor at Sciences Po, Guy Sorman, also sparked controversy. While praising South Korea's COVID-19 response, he stated that such measures were possible because South Korea is a "highly surveilled society." In an interview with the French current affairs weekly Le Point, Professor Sorman said, "South Korea's tracking of infected individuals used mobile phone information that allows tracing infection routes," adding, "Koreans accept this because they live in a society under intense surveillance."

At the same time, 'COVID love calls' continue to pour in. The Blue House revealed that President Moon Jae-in has had over 30 phone calls related to COVID-19 in just three months.