Due to the surge of COVID19 and also due to spring break, I was unable to meet with my language learning tutor Jimin for our usual weekly tutoring sessions. As the pandemic is very critical especially in South Korea, I find it only appropriate to discuss the situation itself in my language learning journal post. Upon reading several Korean news articles about the pandemic on naver.com, and also by talking to friends and family back in Korea, I began to realize the severe and widespread impact that the coronavirus is inflicting upon people all across the world. In a conversation with my mom, she told me she stood in line for 2 hours in front of a local pharmacy to obtain merely 2 masks, and that Korea is now switching to a system where they distribute masks to people on different days according to the last digit of one’s birth year in order to ration the low supply of masks and also to decrease human contact. Below is a picture that simplifies the distribution schedule. Personally, I think this is a rather efficient and safer method of distributing masks in order to help even out the supply and prevent too many people from gathering in one place. My parents are especially concerned for my safety as I am in a completely different country, and thus I am doing my best to handle the situation as best as I can on my own.
Based on my research, there have been 8,162 confirmed patients, 16,272 currently being tested, and 75 dead from the coronavirus. Compared to the US, as many Asian countries have a cultural custom of wearing masks even when mildly sick, there are many more people in Korea wearing masks outside. In fact, it is hard to find anyone who isn’t wearing one. This cultural difference is quite shocking, for my parents keep telling me to wear a mask when going anywhere outside, but it is a little daunting for me to do so as people will often stare if I do. IN Korea, most subways are empty, as well as many other commercial places where large amounts of people normally gather, such as shopping malls, popular streets in Seoul, and many more. Below is a standard flier that is circulated throughout Korea to encourage people to increase caution and maintain personal hygiene in order to prevent further spread.
Finally, Korea’s most critical exam for high school seniors – Suneung – has been delayed for a couple weeks. This is due to the delay of the start of the new school year in Korea. This is most likely very shocking for many high school students who have studied to no end for many months, but it is a measure that has been taken in order to prevent the spread of the virus among students. Overall, this worldwide pandemic is rather alarming and devastating, especially with my last semester of college being pretty much canceled. We can only hope that this all dies down soon, and in the meantime, prepare and isolate ourselves. Attached are some links to the articles that I read.
https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=5926931&cid=43667&categoryId=43667
http://news.kbs.co.kr/news/view.do?ncd=4402070&ref=A
https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0103_202003151555582142
Comments
Hey June. Thanks for providing information about COVID-19's impact on Korean society. This is news that I haven't heard from the media, so your post provides a very refreshing perspective on the issue. The diagrams are a nice touch because it helped me to understand what you were talking about more clearly.