How to Adapt to a Changed Daily Life

There is a joking saying that our people are good at two things: drinking and partying, and overcoming national crises. Just as the world has been astonished by the outstanding response shown in this COVID-19 crisis, it likely means that each of our citizens possesses exceptional flexibility and an unusual ability to overcome hardship.

The Seoul metropolitan area, where 20 million people live, is inevitably vulnerable to infectious disease control given its connections to the rest of the world and the openness of our economy. The reason Korea has achieved exemplary results without banning the entry of foreigners is that individuals have thoroughly practiced hygiene management, such as washing their hands and wearing masks. This has shown that, above all, it is crucial to strengthen one’s own immunity and be careful not to become infected through contact with others.

Being cautious should come before being afraid. Fear must be guarded against, because it not only weakens our immunity but can also threaten our lives. In that sense, it is necessary to examine whether there has been excessive overreaction in quarantine measures and whether they have instead fueled fear and blocked people’s activities themselves. If hygiene and quarantine are being properly managed by individuals and the public health authorities, then it is desirable for each economic actor to return to daily life and engage in normal activity. If the suspension of everyday life continues, the workplaces and systems that have sustained our lives will be destroyed, and this will threaten the lives of many people.

COVID-19 is changing many things. It has shown that schooling can take place in non-face-to-face formats, that business can continue even with working from home, that medical diagnosis can also be conducted through the internet, and that shopping is shifting to small neighborhood stores or non-store formats.

The threat of viruses will always be with us, and remaining on guard against them will become part of everyday life. It is now difficult to go back to the past. We need to adapt to the changed environment and, on that basis, work to transform the systems of our society. If laws or institutions happen to be unsuited to this environment, they will have to be revised. Not only private business but also judicial and administrative services will need to be improved through cyber-based methods.

It is concerning that the international order is moving in the direction of raising borders. This trend could shrink international trade and usher in an era of negative growth in which the economies of all countries contract. In such a case, an open trading nation like Korea would face great damage. Global leadership that promotes the value of free trade so that world trade does not contract is emerging as a core task for our government.

The government must exercise diplomatic leadership by making clear that entry bans between countries do more harm by shrinking international exchange than they do good for disease control, and by reminding the world of the importance of free trade. Rather than relying on border closures, each country should be persuaded to advance its disease control systems and normalize free exchange as soon as possible.

Sung-no Choi, President, Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

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Original title: 변화된 일상에 적응하는 방법

Author: Sung-no Choi

Date: 2020-04-21

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=press&pn=21&idx=22570