Critical approaches to the Korean government’s social distancing measures as controversial responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
저자
Seo Joon-Kyo
초록
The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has caused a health-care emergency, which
requires the urgent distribution of effective, affordable and well-timed care to the public. In
dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, some government responses have been more
effective in terms of preventing, suppressing and reducing the virus than others. South
Korea has regarded as a model for preventing the widespread of the COVID-19 pandemic
effectively. South Korea has compressed the sudden increase of the disease by integrating
testing, early isolation, the free treatment of infected cases, and also the search for possible
infected cases through digital technologies without taking to lockdown measures. The most
impressive preventive measure has been social distancing that has effectively mitigated the
spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. However, though the Korean government’s
responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and preventive measures, such as social distancing,
have seemingly been very effective, they have affected differently among demographic
groups in Korea economically as well as socially. The study attempts to illustrate the Korean
government’s preventive responses and measures against the COVID-19 pandemic,
particularly in terms of social distancing rules and guidelines. It considers not only those
governmental actions, but also their effects on demographic groups in Korea.
주요키워드
COVID-19 pandemic, demographic groups, Korean government, social distancing measures