Seongbuk-gu's COVID-19 Quarantine Experience as a K-Quarantine Asset...

Seongbuk-gu Collects COVID-19 Response Records and Publishes Them on Seongbuk Village Archive... Includes Scenes of Residents and Officials Disinfecting and Preventing, On-site Screening Clinics, Shops, Markets, Public Facilities, Streets with COVID-19 Notices and Banners, and Illustrations Reflecting Future Generations' Experiences and Thoughts on COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro), which was at the center of the COVID-19 resurgence last August, has gathered records of its COVID-19 response journey and made them publicly available on the Seongbuk Village Archive website.

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, stated, “Until August, Seongbuk-gu maintained a COVID-19 clean autonomous district with no infection cases in the area. However, after infections originating from a local church occurred, confirmed cases surged by nearly 500% within just one month. We witnessed the quarantine barrier, built with the sweat and effort of 450,000 Seongbuk residents, collapse in an instant. As the public and private sectors united again to focus on response efforts, we realized that sharing Seongbuk’s experience with South Korea is a valuable asset for K-quarantine.”

The records released this time capture the changes in Seongbuk-gu and its residents due to the spread of COVID-19 since this spring. They include scenes of residents and public officials disinfecting and conducting preventive work throughout Seongbuk-gu, the district’s screening clinics, shops, markets, public facilities, and various COVID-19 related notices and banners posted on streets.

In particular, the collection includes entries from the art contest themed on COVID-19, “2020 Seongbukcheon Flag Exhibition - Fluttering Imagination Exhibition,” which offers a glimpse into children’s experiences and thoughts about COVID-19.

Three interview video materials focusing on post-COVID-19 daily life, conducted with Seongbuk-gu residents, were also released. The videos, produced under three themes?education, economy, and culture & arts?feature stories from elementary students, university students, university lecturers, and parents (education); self-employed business owners and traditional market merchants in Seongbuk-gu (economy); and local theater troupe leaders and museum curators sharing their experiences and stories (culture & arts).

The Seongbuk Village Archive has been jointly produced and operated by Seongbuk-gu and the Seongbuk Cultural Center (Director Jo Taegwon) since 2018. Seongbuk-gu and the Seongbuk Cultural Center plan to continue collecting COVID-19 related records and posting them on the website until the spread of COVID-19 ends and ordinary daily life is restored.

The records can be viewed under the “Seongbuk by Theme” menu on the Seongbuk Village Archive website. You can access the Seongbuk Village Archive website by searching “Seongbuk Village Archive” on internet portal sites or by visiting the Seongbuk-gu Office website, clicking “Village Records” at the top left, and then scanning the QR code with a smartphone camera.