When the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was confirmed in the Republic of Korea on 20 January 2020, the country immediately implemented a strategy to test, trace and treat and to build the trust needed to successfully manage the virus
while preserving social and economic life as much as possible.
The Minister of Health and Welfare, Dr Park Neung-hoo, said “From mid-February, the number of confirmed cases skyrocketed in Daegu and Gyeongbuk. Some said the areas had to be locked down. The Government decided to contain the spread while preserving
the freedom of movement. The Republic of Korea tried to strike a balance between control and prevention measures and our people’s daily lives.”
Careful analysis based on WHO advice helped the country devise a strategy, said Dr Park.
“WHO’s regular briefings on COVID-19 provided the latest updates, thereby allowing us to be prepared for and respond to the virus.”
The Republic of Korea implemented innovations such as drive-through screening stations, residential treatment centres and non-face-to-face health-care services in order to focus on the three Ts: testing, tracing and treatment.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Kang Kyung-wha, said the country was forced to be creative: “I think the greatest difficulty at the beginning of the pandemic was just being one of the very first to be hit, so we needed to write the book as we
went along.”
But she said customizing the response to the Republic of Korea’s unique situation was crucial: “Some look at the Korean case and say: ‘Oh, you have the IT infrastructure. You have universal health coverage. You have the ingredients to
be successful.’ But I think they’re missing the most important element in this, which is the public’s trust. Crisis response can be successful only if you are faithful to the fundamental values of your country. And those fundamental
values of our very vibrant democracy are openness, transparency and full government accountability.”
Looking ahead, the leaders of the Republic of Korea acknowledge the country will need to adapt to a new normal.
“I think we all know now COVID-19 is here for the long term. We have to live with the risk and manage the risk, while ensuring and enabling the people to move about and respecting their fundamental human rights,” said Dr Kang.