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South Korea
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2022-03
Teaching in Korea
During the height of the pandemic I began to think deeply about what i wanted to do if things ever got "Back to normal." I'd spent my entire life in San Jose California, and decided I wanted to get out and do something different. In early 2021 I went through the process of becoming certified to teach English abroad. I was eventually hired by an English academy in South Korea for a one year contract in the fall of 2021. I enjoyed it so much I ended up re-upping for another year. When I arrived I had to quarantine for one week, and my school director (essentially a principal) picked me up from my quarantine facility and brought me to my apartment, paid for by the school as part of my contract. It was an exciting adventure for me slowly adapting to a new culture and learning to navigate the country of South Korea. The attitude towards COVID was much more serious than in the U.S. The outdoor mask mandate was in force until Spring of 2022, and the indoor mandate was not lifted until January of 2023. Even coming from California, one of the U.S. states with stricter restrictions, it was an adjustment. It certainly wasn't a political issue here in South Korea. I can only speak very rudimentary Korean, but from what I could tell, nobody seemed to have a problem following government health advice. It was illuminating to see how different countries citizens can have radically different views to a crisis based on culture, beliefs, values and attitudes towards Science. Many people still choose to wear masks in public places now in the Summer of 2023. Given the tensions with the North, there is a heavy U.S. military presence in South Korea, which made it easier to connect with other English speakers and get a taste of home near the military bases. I even met my lovely partner here, a space force member stationed in the same city I teach and live in. Being shut in is what drove me to get out of my comfort zone and I'm truly glad for my experience over the past two years in Korea. I've met friends from different countries, experienced aspects of Korean culture that I love, and also have had my privilege checked by aspects of living in Korea that I'm not as fond of. I am excited to go back home this fall, but I hope to carry all I've learned about culture and life in Korea with me. In a strange way, I'm glad that at least the pandemic made me think about what I wanted to do and see once I had the freedom to explore, and I can't say enough how grateful I am for the travel I've been able to do. -
2022-03-23
South Korea's total COVID-19 cases top 10 million as crematoria, funeral homes overwhelmed
This is a story by Channel News Asia about the ongoing issues with funeral homes in South Korea. This article says that in Seoul, 28 crematoria are operating at 114.2% capacity, while other crematoria around the country are operating at 83%. For the past two week, the number of critically ill patients has been hovering above 1,000; but it could get to 2,000 by early April. To combat this, the federal government has approved the use of Merck & Co's COVID-19 treatment pill. The pill is branded as Lageviro and is the second antiviral to be authorized in South Korea after Pfizer's Paxlovid. This pill, however, is only approved for adults 18 and above. The government is hoping that actions such as these will help limit the crowdedness in funeral homes and hospitals. -
2021-02-10
Seoul offers COVID-19 tests for pet dogs and cats
Efforts are underway in Seoul to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among the pet population. The South Korean capital is offering free testing for cats and dogs exposed to carriers of the disease. The campaign to test and isolate pets comes just weeks after a kitten in Seoul became South Korea's first confirmed case of an animal with COVID-19. -
2021-01-13
Space Sweepers
The first Korean space blockbuster is set to release soon. Korean film and media and culture truly have advanced during the past 5 years of my life and it is good to see parts of my culture be spread far. -
09/17/2020
[REDACTED] Han Oral History, 2020/09/17
This is an audio interview with a classmate who is based in Korea. She is a freshman who is studying Pharmacy. She expresses her thoughts and experience on the current pandemic, Covid-19. -
2020-08-06
Even Asymptomatic People Carry the Coronavirus in High Amounts
This article discusses the findings of a report recently published in the Journal of American Medical Association explaining that asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19 carry as much virus in their nose and mouth as those with symptoms for about the same length of time. While previously the knowledge on asymptomatic spread was more anecdotal this study offers more direct evidence. -
2020-02-10
Mask from South Korea
My parents lived in China and were asked to stay at home due to the Coronavirus outbreak. During January and February 2020, the surgical masks and N95 mask produced in China were in shortage. My father asked his friends for help, and his friends' imported the masks made in South Korea and Singapore. Now, my parents mailed extra masks to me. -
2020-03-02
Coronavirus: South Korea sect leader to face probe over deaths
The article talks about how a leader of a religious sect in South Korea is going to be investigated over deaths in the country due to COVID-19. Lee Man-hee the founder of Shincheonji Church are being accused of hiding members as the government tried to rack patients before the virus spread. Outside of China South Korea is battling the worst coronavirus outbreak. -
2020-02-24
Secretive Church Sect At The Center Of South Korea's Coronavirus Outbreak
In this article talks about how one person in South Korea is responsible for the original 833 cases. They were a member of a religious group called the Shincheonji Church of Jesus. This one gathering caused case numbers to grow exponentially over the course of several days leading the the spread of Covid-19 to every major city and province of South Korea. This cause South Korean authorities to raise the virus alert level to red, which had not been done since 2009. The article also expresses the concern of some people because the religious group is not revealing who originally had Covid-19 so there is no way for people in the surrounding community to know if they came into contact with said member. They also blame the chuch for not cooperating with health authorities.