{"id":83534,"date":"2020-03-23T16:07:18","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T21:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/persian-heritage.com\/wordpress\/?p=79750"},"modified":"2020-04-11T14:06:18","modified_gmt":"2020-04-11T19:06:18","slug":"south-koreas-coronavirus-plan-is-working-can-the-world-copy-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/2020\/03\/23\/south-koreas-coronavirus-plan-is-working-can-the-world-copy-it\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s Coronavirus Plan Is Working, Can the World Copy It?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

VOA – SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – It was Thursday morning, and my phone buzzed with a text message from South Korea\u2019s emergency alert system, as it has hundreds of times during the coronavirus outbreak.\u00a0 \u00a0Someone in my Seoul neighborhood \u2014\u00a0a 35-year-old Polish male \u2014\u00a0had tested positive. Clicking a link to a government website revealed an astonishing level of detail about the man\u2019s activities over the previous two days.\u00a0 \u00a0After arriving at Seoul\u2019s Incheon airport at about 9:00 a.m., the man took an express train to my local metro station, where, wearing a mask, he shopped at a nearby E-Mart grocery store. He then returned home, before getting dinner five hours later at an Italian restaurant in Seoul\u2019s Itaewon neighborhood popular with foreigners. He was still wearing a mask, but took it off while eating, the message adds.<\/p>\n

The next day, the man visited the ground floor of my local bank, ate dumplings at a restaurant down the street, visited a nearby animal hotel, and eventually wound up at my local hospital, where he became one of approximately 9,000 people in South Korea to test positive for the coronavirus.<\/p>\n

By now, such messages are commonplace in South Korea, as is the ominous chorus of accompanying tones that can be heard at bus stops, offices, and other community settings. Some days, I receive over a dozen alerts about infections in my area. When I travel to other parts of Seoul, my phone vibrates with new reports about cases in those neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

To compile those messages<\/a>, South Korea relies not only on in-person interviews, but also instant access to extensive amounts of personal information \u2014\u00a0\u00a0such as bank records, phone GPS data, and surveillance footage \u2014\u00a0\u00a0not only for confirmed coronavirus patients but also suspected cases.<\/p>\n

This access is possible because South Korean lawmakers loosened privacy laws following a 2015 outbreak of MERS, which resulted in 39 deaths here. Now, during dangerous epidemics, authorities have warrantless access to such private data.<\/p>\n

The plan has worked\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a result, South Korea has been able to locate coronavirus clusters, investigate the path of infection, quickly isolate those involved, and warn the public about trouble spots to avoid.<\/p>\n

The result has been stunning: South Korea has reported one of the lowest coronavirus death rates in the world: as of Monday, only 111 people have died out of 8,961 cases.<\/p>\n

The rate of new infections has also plunged. After reaching a daily peak of 909 new cases on February 29, South Korea reported just 64 on Monday.<\/p>\n

South Korea\u2019s approach has been widely praised as a global model of how to contain the coronavirus without resorting to forced restrictions on movement or widespread business closures.<\/p>\n

But there are concerns about the long-term impact of countries loosening privacy laws to deal with disease outbreaks.<\/p>\n

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told me his organization is \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d governments will take advantage of the coronavirus threat to enhance their powers of electronic surveillance.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we allow them to be regularly\u00a0used and\u00a0give up this essential aspect of our right of privacy, it will be very difficult to put the genie back in the bottle when the threat of the coronavirus fades,\u201d says Roth.<\/p>\n

The organization has also urged countries to \u201cavoid sweeping and overly broad restrictions on movement and personal liberty\u201d and to impose mandatory restrictions \u201conly when scientifically warranted and necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trade-off accepted?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

If South Korea is offering a temporary reduction in privacy in exchange for protection against a highly contagious disease, then it’s a trade-off many South Koreans seem happy with.<\/p>\n

Amid the coronavirus crisis, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is enjoying his highest approval ratings in months.<\/p>\n

Ki Moran, who heads the Korean Society of Preventive Medicine\u2019s committee for emergency response, says the MERS crisis demonstrated a dire need to find the \u201cmissing parts\u201d in epidemiological investigations. Loosening South Korea\u2019s privacy laws was the correct way to do that, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the main reason why epidemiological investigations can be so detailed now,\u201d says Ki.<\/p>\n

In some ways, South Korea\u2019s government is further aided by institutional remnants of its authoritarian past, says Lee Sang-sin, who focuses on political science and public opinion at the Korean Institute for National Unification.<\/p>\n

One of those remnants is South Korea\u2019s national registration system, he says. Under the system, phone companies must require all customers to provide their real names and ID numbers. That has made it easier for authorities to track down suspected coronavirus patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf used by democratic, capable and responsible governments, these authoritarian apparatuses can be extremely useful and effective. But it also means that it is very easy for us to go back to an authoritarian regime,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

May not work as model\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are other reasons it may be difficult for countries to emulate South Korea\u2019s coronavirus response.<\/p>\n

With just 51 million people, South Korea is a relatively small country. And over half the population lives in the Seoul metropolitan area, making policy coordination easier.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest factor: everyone in South Korea\u00a0\u2014 even almost all foreigners, including me \u2014 \u00a0is part of\u00a0an affordable and efficient national healthcare system.<\/p>\n

Under a single system, South Korea has seen fewer delays in expanding its coronavirus testing, including at its approximately 50 drive-thru testing centers, which received global praise for their innovation and safety.<\/p>\n

In some ways, South Korea\u2019s government is further aided by institutional remnants of its authoritarian past, says Lee Sang-sin, who focuses on political science and public opinion at the Korean Institute for National Unification.<\/p>\n

One of those remnants is South Korea\u2019s national registration system, he says. Under the system, phone companies must require all customers to provide their real names and ID numbers. That has made it easier for authorities to track down suspected coronavirus patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf used by democratic, capable and responsible governments, these authoritarian apparatuses can be extremely useful and effective. But it also means that it is very easy for us to go back to an authoritarian regime,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

May not work as model\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are other reasons it may be difficult for countries to emulate South Korea\u2019s coronavirus response.<\/p>\n

With just 51 million people, South Korea is a relatively small country. And over half the population lives in the Seoul metropolitan area, making policy coordination easier.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest factor: everyone in South Korea\u00a0\u2014 even almost all foreigners, including me \u2014 \u00a0is part of\u00a0an affordable and efficient national healthcare system.<\/p>\n

Under a single system, South Korea has seen fewer delays in expanding its coronavirus testing, including at its approximately 50 drive-thru testing centers, which received global praise for their innovation and safety.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Someone in my Seoul neighborhood \u2014\u00a0a 35-year-old Polish male \u2014\u00a0had tested positive. Clicking a link to a government website revealed an astonishing level of detail about the man\u2019s activities over the previous two days.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

After arriving at Seoul\u2019s Incheon airport at about 9:00 a.m., the man took an express train to my local metro station, where, wearing a mask, he shopped at a nearby E-Mart grocery store. He then returned home, before getting dinner five hours later at an Italian restaurant in Seoul\u2019s Itaewon neighborhood popular with foreigners. He was still wearing a mask, but took it off while eating, the message adds.<\/p>\n

The next day, the man visited the ground floor of my local bank, ate dumplings at a restaurant down the street, visited a nearby animal hotel, and eventually wound up at my local hospital, where he became one of approximately 9,000 people in South Korea to test positive for the coronavirus.<\/p>\n

By now, such messages are commonplace in South Korea, as is the ominous chorus of accompanying tones that can be heard at bus stops, offices, and other community settings. Some days, I receive over a dozen alerts about infections in my area. When I travel to other parts of Seoul, my phone vibrates with new reports about cases in those neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

To compile those messages<\/a>, South Korea relies not only on in-person interviews, but also instant access to extensive amounts of personal information \u2014\u00a0\u00a0such as bank records, phone GPS data, and surveillance footage \u2014\u00a0\u00a0not only for confirmed coronavirus patients but also suspected cases.<\/p>\n

This access is possible because South Korean lawmakers loosened privacy laws following a 2015 outbreak of MERS, which resulted in 39 deaths here. Now, during dangerous epidemics, authorities have warrantless access to such private data.<\/p>\n

The plan has worked\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a result, South Korea has been able to locate coronavirus clusters, investigate the path of infection, quickly isolate those involved, and warn the public about trouble spots to avoid.<\/p>\n

The result has been stunning: South Korea has reported one of the lowest coronavirus death rates in the world: as of Monday, only 111 people have died out of 8,961 cases.<\/p>\n

The rate of new infections has also plunged. After reaching a daily peak of 909 new cases on February 29, South Korea reported just 64 on Monday.<\/p>\n

South Korea\u2019s approach has been widely praised as a global model of how to contain the coronavirus without resorting to forced restrictions on movement or widespread business closures.<\/p>\n

But there are concerns about the long-term impact of countries loosening privacy laws to deal with disease outbreaks.<\/p>\n

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told me his organization is \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d governments will take advantage of the coronavirus threat to enhance their powers of electronic surveillance.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we allow them to be regularly\u00a0used and\u00a0give up this essential aspect of our right of privacy, it will be very difficult to put the genie back in the bottle when the threat of the coronavirus fades,\u201d says Roth.<\/p>\n

The organization has also urged countries to \u201cavoid sweeping and overly broad restrictions on movement and personal liberty\u201d and to impose mandatory restrictions \u201conly when scientifically warranted and necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trade-off accepted?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

If South Korea is offering a temporary reduction in privacy in exchange for protection against a highly contagious disease, then it’s a trade-off many South Koreans seem happy with.<\/p>\n

Amid the coronavirus crisis, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is enjoying his highest approval ratings in months.<\/p>\n

Ki Moran, who heads the Korean Society of Preventive Medicine\u2019s committee for emergency response, says the MERS crisis demonstrated a dire need to find the \u201cmissing parts\u201d in epidemiological investigations. Loosening South Korea\u2019s privacy laws was the correct way to do that, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the main reason why epidemiological investigations can be so detailed now,\u201d says Ki.<\/p>\n

In some ways, South Korea\u2019s government is further aided by institutional remnants of its authoritarian past, says Lee Sang-sin, who focuses on political science and public opinion at the Korean Institute for National Unification.<\/p>\n

One of those remnants is South Korea\u2019s national registration system, he says. Under the system, phone companies must require all customers to provide their real names and ID numbers. That has made it easier for authorities to track down suspected coronavirus patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf used by democratic, capable and responsible governments, these authoritarian apparatuses can be extremely useful and effective. But it also means that it is very easy for us to go back to an authoritarian regime,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

May not work as model\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are other reasons it may be difficult for countries to emulate South Korea\u2019s coronavirus response.<\/p>\n

With just 51 million people, South Korea is a relatively small country. And over half the population lives in the Seoul metropolitan area, making policy coordination easier.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest factor: everyone in South Korea\u00a0\u2014 even almost all foreigners, including me \u2014 \u00a0is part of\u00a0an affordable and efficient national healthcare system.<\/p>\n

Under a single system, South Korea has seen fewer delays in expanding its coronavirus testing, including at its approximately 50 drive-thru testing centers, which received global praise for their innovation and safety.<\/p>\n

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South Korea Tests for Coronavirus at Drive-through Clinics<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

Back to normal?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the number of new coronavirus infections falls, life in Seoul has in some ways begun to return to normal – or at least a modified version of it.<\/p>\n

Schools and most other group gatherings remain canceled and many continue to work from home. But this past weekend, which saw the warmest weather of the year so far, more couples and families ventured out to parks along the Han River, even as most observed the government\u2019s social distancing recommendations by staying two meters apart.<\/p>\n

In Seoul, the city government has been pushing a slogan called \u201cLet\u2019s Take a Break from Social Life,\u201d a\u00a0fairly depressing\u00a0promotional campaign for a major world city. But as my wife and I enjoyed kimchi stew this weekend at a local restaurant that was only half empty, we wondered if the break could almost be over.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

VOA – SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – It was Thursday morning, and my phone buzzed with a text message from South Korea\u2019s emergency alert system, as it has hundreds of times during the coronavirus outbreak.\u00a0 \u00a0Someone in my Seoul neighborhood \u2014\u00a0a 35-year-old Polish male \u2014\u00a0had tested positive. Clicking a link to a government website revealed an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":83759,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["fa","en"],"languages":{"fa":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":false,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}