Korea: COVID-19, the Vulnerable and Protection
Jaehyon Lee · 2022
This chapter reviews the COVID-19 experience of Korea, with a focus on the impact on vulnerable sections of society, in particular, temporary workers and migrants, and on implications for the educational gap. The issues identified do not as yet rise to the level of being catalysts for atrocity. Nevertheless, they have had short-term as well as long-term negative consequences for human insecurity, for communities and society as a whole. This chapter argues for the need for a regional standard on pandemic management (e.g., in relation to information transparency and border closures) and protection of the vulnerable, including the economically disadvantaged and migrants. A regional agreement addressing these two areas would put pressure on governments to better protect the vulnerable, and act as a reference for national governments. Vulnerable communities could also demand better government protection based on the standard.