Daegu City's Status Transformed into a 'Model Quarantine City'... International Exchanges Send 'Love Calls'

Eric Teo, Singapore's Ambassador to Korea, is seen taking a commemorative photo with Kwon Young-jin, Mayor of Daegu, after their meeting on the 12th.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Despite the prolonged situation of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) crisis, Daegu City is actively engaging in international exchanges by leveraging its increased recognition as a model city for quarantine.

Daegu City explained that as its experience of effectively suppressing further spread by swiftly isolating and treating confirmed cases in the community through large-scale COVID-19 diagnostic testing became known, overseas cities have been continuously requesting to share Daegu’s quarantine experience.

First, in May, Atlanta, a sister city in the United States, requested a video conference and individual video interviews between sister cities. Brno City in the Czech Republic, with which there had been no prior exchanges, also requested a video conference between mayors to share Daegu’s COVID-19 quarantine policies and experiences. On the 3rd of this month, Daegu and Kobe City, which marked the 10th anniversary of their friendship and cooperation agreement this year, jointly held a video conference with the city council, promising continuous exchange and cooperation.

Exchanges with foreign diplomatic missions in Korea are also being actively promoted. Following a series of visits to Daegu by ambassadors from the United States, France, Zambia, Poland, and Qatar in June and July, on July 29, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the Ambassador of Pakistan to Korea, visited Daegu for the first time since her appointment in February.

Visits by ambassadors from major countries to Daegu continue in August. Eric Teo, the Ambassador of Singapore to Korea, who has a particularly close connection as Daegu Metropolitan Transit Corporation manages the Sentosa Express, visited Daegu for a one-night, two-day schedule on the 11th. On the 13th, the Ambassador of Israel to Korea is scheduled to visit; Daegu Tech, one of the representative foreign-invested companies in the region with its parent company in Israel, is closely cooperating in the industrial economy sector.

During his one-night, two-day visit to Daegu, Eric Teo visited Daegu Dongsan Hospital, which was a dedicated COVID-19 hospital, to encourage medical staff and toured future industry sites in Daegu such as the advanced medical complex and the National Water Industry Cluster.

Daegu City has been compiling its COVID-19 quarantine policies and experiences into a booklet and promoting a project to share it worldwide. The 51-page English booklet titled 'Overcoming COVID-19 in Daegu: The path nobody taught us' was produced and provided to various organizations including international organizations such as METROPOLIS (World Association of Major Metropolises), UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments), foreign diplomatic missions in Korea, and Daegu’s overseas offices located in Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, and Jakarta.

Along with the COVID-19 English booklet, a 'Daegu Introduction Brochure' was produced in four languages (Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese) and distributed to Daegu’s overseas offices, foreign diplomatic missions in Korea, U.S. military bases, the Chinese Cultural Center, Daegu Convention Bureau, and other institutions.

Mayor Kwon Young-jin stated, "Although face-to-face exchanges are difficult due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation worldwide, we are actively sharing quarantine experiences and know-how with many overseas cities by utilizing the increased recognition as a K-quarantine model city. We will enhance the status of Daegu as a global city through practical and customized exchanges in culture, sports, medical care, and economy in cooperation with diplomatic missions based in Korea."

Meanwhile, despite sporadic overseas imported cases in the Daegu area, no community infections have occurred for 40 consecutive days as of the 12th since August 4.