South Korea, Seoul, Callie, USA, 29, Content Manager, Not married/ No kids
General
How is the situation in your city/ country?
Cases in Korea are back on the rise again with the new variant BA.5. For a few months, the case count was getting lower and lower so restrictions were eased, but now I’ve heard that the government is considering putting some restrictions back in place as the virus is spreading at a fast pace again.
How did the atmosphere in your country change since the pandemic started?
Things are slowly getting back to normal again, but it’s not quite like how it was before the pandemic. I especially think of one very popular, busy area in the city. It’s a shopping district that was always very packed with people, but when I visited during the pandemic, there were almost no people there and many of the shops were shut down and boarded up. It was really sad to see.
How are you and your family?
We are okay. Most of us have had COVID at this point, and luckily we got through it alright. Mostly I worry about the distance between us. With restrictions in place, it’s difficult to visit home and I worry that something bad will happen and I won’t be able to see them. Restrictions are changing all the time so it’s tough to leave at the drop of a hat.
What is the biggest challenge for you during the crisis?
Definitely being away from family. I worried about my family every day during the pandemic and still do. I worry about their health and feel really guilty/sad that I’m not there. Especially at the start of the pandemic, everything was so scary and uncertain, and I just wanted to be at home with my family.
The biggest challenge for me during the crisis is being away from family.
Measures
When did you realize how serious the situation is?
I realized how serious it was when the government started putting travel restrictions into place and countries started closing their borders. I love my life in Korea, but I felt really trapped which was scary.
How did your government react to the crisis? Which measures/restrictions were taken first?
I think the Korean government handled it quite well. We never had a full ‘lockdown’ and borders remained open. However, we had a lot of rules/restrictions in place to keep us safe such as QR codes when entering public places to track/trace the virus, mask requirements, curfews, etc. I felt like it was a good balance. I could still go out and have a sense of normalcy while still taking precautions to stay safe and help prevent the spread.
Are you satisfied with the measures of your government? What was good/bad?
I am, yes. I think situations like this are really tough and there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to handle it. But I think the government did their best to support the public and also the businesses. As I mentioned above, nothing completely ‘shut down’. We could still go to restaurants, cafes, etc but there were rules put into place to keep us as safe as possible while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and I really appreciated the government’s efforts.
What would you like to say to your government?
Thank you. I know things were not perfect and everything didn’t always go as planned. But for the most part, I felt safe and taken care of. When I watched and heard news about the situation in my home country, the US, I felt like Korea was quite organized and responded very well to the pandemic in comparison.
Which sentence of a virologist/politician did you memorize the most?
I didn’t memorize anything from them. Actually, I challenged myself to tune out a bit at times because the news got very overwhelming for me at some points. Especially at the start of the pandemic, I was constantly on my phone checking the news and it really gave me a sense of dread and anxiety so I had to learn to ‘step away’ from time to time for my own mental health. Instead of memorizing what politicians had to say, I tried to focus on my own thoughts/feelings in order to keep a positive mindset.
The news got very overwhelming for me at some point.
The Virus
Do you know anybody who was infected with COVID-19 or even died?
Luckily, I don’t know anyone who died, but almost everyone I know has been infected with COVID at this point. In fact, I only know 1 or 2 people who HAVEN’T contracted the virus at this point.
Have you already done a Coronavirus test or have you been in quarantine?
At one point, I was taking multiple COVID tests per week for various reasons. It was quite easy to get tested in Korea and they required us to be tested for different reasons including going on domestic work trips, if we were in contact with a confirmed case, etc. As for quarentine, I had to do it for 10 days after entering the country after I finally was able to visit home.
Are you afraid of getting infected with the Coronavirus?
I was extremely anxious and afraid of getting it for a long time. I did finally have COVID and luckily, my symptoms weren’t too terrible. I wouldn’t say I’m afraid of getting COVID again, but of course I don’t want to get it again. It wasn’t a pleasant experience and even if my body handled it well the first time, who knows how it could be if I get infected again..
I only know one or two people who haven´t contracted the virus at this point.
The lockdown
How long is/was your lockdown and what was allowed/what wasn´t?
Korea technically had no lockdown. We could go outside freely and restaurants/malls/cafes/etc remained open. However we had a lot of rules. We had to sign in with a QR code at every indoor public place we visited, masks were required indoors and outdoors, we had temp checks inside businesses, and we had a 9pm curfew at one point. Many people worked from home at some point during the pandemic as well.
Did you spend the lockdown time with somebody and what did you do during this time?
I live with my boyfriend and so we were together during the whole pandemic. We still went out for work, but definitely spent more time at home. I took online classes and had a lot of homework on top of my work and my boyfriend had a lot of online meetings still so I feel like we kept ourselves very busy.
What did you miss the most during the lockdown? What helped you?
I missed my family in the States. I really wanted to be with them during this time especially. Zoom calls definitely helped. It was nice still being able to chat and see their faces.
Korea technically had no lockdown.
Changes
How did your work situation change since the pandemic started (shorter hours, working from home, etc.)
My work situation actually stayed the same because I was already working from home before the pandemic.
How did your social life (relationship/friendships/dating) change due to the Corona crisis?
My social life definitely changed. I tried to keep my social circle quite small and didn’t meet up with people as often. I cancelled/changed a lot of plans during that time due to anxiety from the pandemic as well. I even lost a friend because of this reason.
What impact has the Corona crisis on your financial situation?
It actually improved my financial situation because luckily my work remained stable. Since I was going out less, I was spending a lot less money and was able to save a bit more.
Social distancing: How does your daily life look like at the moment?
Currently, my daily life is back to normal for the most part except I do a lot less international travel. Before, I used to plan trips abroad for vacation, but now my only international trips have been home to see my family. (2 times in the past 5 years). As for daily life in Korea, masks are not required outside but I still wear them inside. However, since already contracting the virus at one point, I definitely feel a lot less anxious going to restaurants, cafes, etc. Big events are also happening again these days.
The crisis actually improved my financial situation as my work remained stable and I was going out less.
Perception
Who are to your opinion the heroes of this crisis?
I think everyone played a different role in handling this pandemic so I’m thankful for a lot of people for different reasons. But I think the nurses need special recognition. I can’t imagine the stress, long hours, and the emotional toll that this took on them. Thank you so much for your service!
What did the crisis show you?
It showed me that we never know what is going to happen so we must enjoy life and be grateful. Never take things for granted..
What will you appreciate more after the crisis?
Family, health, and life in general.
Which images will you never forget?
I saw photos in the news of nurses in Korea wearing full hazmat suits/face shields in 90 degree weather. Some of them even passed out. My heart really went out to them and it made me want to try even harder to do my part to end this (ex: social distancing, wear masks, get vaccinated, etc) I thought about how frustrating it must be for them if people don’t take the pandemic seriously when they had to work SO hard under tough conditions to care for the people affected.
Which stories/incidents/experiences touched/shattered you the most?
I listened to podcasts where nurses told stories about their experiences working during this time and it was awful. They spoke a lot about how people were unable to visit their familiy in the hospital even when they took their last breath. I thought about how scary it must be to die alone in a hospital with strangers, how sad/helpless the families must feel in that situation, and how amazing many of the nurses were trying to provide care and comfort to their patients during this time.
Nurses need special recognition.
Perspective
What are you afraid of right now?
I think people scare me more than the pandemic itself now to be honest. It was so awful that even when the world was in crisis, so many people were divided by opinion. It was a scary time for many people and I wish that brought people closer together and we could all work together to come to solutions. Instead, I saw a lot of angry people who were unwilling to cooperate and work with others for the greater good. I think it’s important for everyone to have their own thoughts, opinions, perspectives…I just wish that we could channel that energy into something positive..
What gives you hope?
The same answer as above. It’s strange, but humans simultaneously scare me and give me hope. As much as I saw a lot of badness in people during the pandemic, I also saw a lot of goodness. Selfless nurses and doctors, neighbors helping each other people, people donating what they can and supporting small businesses. It was pretty amazing if you think about it. If ever you lose hope in humanity, look next door. Good people are out there.
Are you planning to travel within the next months?
Yes. I will travel back to the US for my sister’s wedding. It will be my second time traveling home since the pandemic.
Would you get yourself vaccinated or have you already been vaccinated against COVID-19?
I received 2 Pfizer shots.
What can we all learn from this crisis?
Always be grateful and don’t take life for granted. Expect the unexpected.
If you could give 2020 a headline, what would it be?
2020 – the year of unity and dissonance.
As much as I saw a lot of badness in people during the pandemic, I also saw a lot of goodness.