ALL ABOUT KOREA`S RESPONSE TO COVID-19

  In the early days of 2020, few could have predicted that our lives would be upended by a novel pathogen that eventually evolved into a pandemic of global scale, claiming a devastating number of lives, and yielding multi-faceted, long-term repercussions, perhaps permanently changing our entire way of life.

  The outbreak has not only disrupted the global mobility of people and goods across borders, eroding the web of distribution networks, but also spread panic, fear and distrust, prompting many to turn insular. In many ways, the impact of COVID-19 has served as a powerful reminder of just how interconnected yet vulnerable we are.
  Korea was one of the first countries to be hit by COVID-19. We witnessed explosions in the number of cases in late February, latter part of August and early September, but were able to flatten the curve. Guided by our past experiences with infectious diseases such as MERS and SARS, we have firmly adhered to the principles of openness, transparency and civic engagement from the very beginning of the outbreak. Since then, we have responded to sporadic cluster infections and the evolving nature of the virus by quickly adapting and fine tuning our countermeasures, control strategies and preparedness.
As different parts of the world experiment with different policy combina-tions, the crisis has triggered calls for global solidarity. We firmly believe that safety for all can only be achieved by pooling resources, knowledge and lessons learned. All About Korea’s Response to COVID-19, comprehensively outlines Korea’s endeavors against COVID-19 from its outbreak in late January to the end of September 2020. We hope that it may serve as a source of reference for the international community.

  The compilation captures our whole-of-government deliberations 1  and the constant process of enhancing and fine-tuning our measures in line with the evolving situation.
We pay tribute to the healthcare workers and public servants around the world who are striving relentlessly at the frontline of the fight against COVID-19. We also extend our heartfelt sympathy to those battling the infection and wish them a speedy and full recovery.

  COVID-19 continues to spread around the world. We may have been unprepared at its arrival, but we do have the power to change its course. Korea’s efforts to initiate and engage in more vigorous international co-operation will continue. In sharing our experience and learning from others, we hope to identify best practices and emerge from the crisis as a more alert, more interconnected and better prepared world for the next global public health challenge.