Faith Over Fear: COVID-19 Update from Seoul, South Korea by leo rhee
South Korea presently has the most cases of people infected with the COVID-19 (Corona) virus, outside of China. At the time of writing, there have been over 5,000 confirmed cases with 30 deaths related to the outbreak. As the Korean government has raised the infectious disease threat alert to the highest level, many experts are predicting that the “worst is yet to come.” With all that is in the media, political and economic ramifications, contradictory scientific evidence, rampant racism, conspiracy theories, and fearmongering, I wanted to share a more personal day-to-day perspective on life here in Seoul since the onset of COVID-19.
The New Normal
In general, there is a quiet shadow of anxiety that has woven itself into the fabric of this nation. The ubiquitous masks donned by much of the population and hand sanitizers found everywhere are persistent reminders that the crisis is imminent. With the present shortage on masks, people wait four to five hours in long lines at the post office or marts where they are rationed and distributed. More than anything, there are a lot of “inconveniences” to life while waiting for the unknown. Two of my 22
international trips were recently cancelled, as well as a myriad of meetings and events. Most schools, including my graduate university where I teach and study, have a delayed start to the semester (the academic year starts in March for most academic institutions in Korea). When I hit the gym to work out last week, I found it was closed indefinitely. Some of my Chinese church members even told me they were denied entry to their fitness centers. Further, same-day online grocery shopping, which has been one of the greatest conveniences of living in Seoul, has a waiting time is about 4-5 days. It is surreal to see many store shelves bare, and people are no longer eating out at restaurants to avoid large gatherings, leaving restauranters worried about paying rent. Moreover, a pervasively quiet lull hovers over the public areas and streets—quite the reverse from the hustle and bustle of a great city that never sleeps. The silence of the day is broken several times an hour by the cacophony of blasts that come from the government warning signals that simultaneously go off our phones. People are warned to stay indoors, but everyone seems go about their daily business, but with added caution.
