Blue House's Control Tower Tested in Response to 'Wuhan Pneumonia'

New Coronavirus Risk Brings Negative Impact on Politics, Economy, and Diplomacy... Korean Party Pressures 'Ban on Chinese Travelers,' Ruling Party Says "Distrust and Fear Are Dangerous"

[Asia Economy reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Won Dara] President Moon Jae-in returned to state affairs before the Lunar New Year holiday ended to respond to the 'Novel Coronavirus Infection (Wuhan Pneumonia),' reflecting the gravity of the situation.

Amid the spread of fear over the novel coronavirus, the KOSPI index started on the 28th with a sharp plunge, signaling an unusual development. Negative factors are spreading not only in politics, society, and diplomacy but also in the economic sector, raising concerns that this could escalate into a comprehensive crisis.

The novel coronavirus risk was an unforeseen variable when the Blue House planned the new year’s state administration at the end of last year. President Moon’s vision to make this year one of 'definite change' and achieve state administration results is being shaken from the beginning of the new year.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Blue House is claiming the role of the 'control tower' for this issue. A senior Blue House official explained, "The Blue House is acting as the overall control tower, and the situation is being specifically managed by the Prime Minister’s Office."

The response outcome to the novel coronavirus issue is expected to directly affect the momentum of state affairs. President Moon’s crisis management ability is once again on the test bench. The reason the novel coronavirus risk inevitably has complex characteristics is that it involves various variables such as the relationship with the Chinese government, domestic public opinion, and the April general election.

The Moon Jae-in administration cannot ignore the fact that trust in the Park Geun-hye government plummeted during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) crisis in June 2015. At that time, the president’s imprudent remarks, the government authorities’ reckless response, and the spread of distrust in the government intensified the controversy.

At that time, Moon Jae-in, then leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, directly criticized the Park Geun-hye government’s incompetence and politicized the issue.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Such experience inevitably poses a political burden on the Moon administration and the Democratic Party of Korea. President Moon has effectively focused state administration on responding to the novel coronavirus, postponing the New Year work reports from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family scheduled for this week.

However, both political reactions and public opinion are flowing differently from the direction President Moon envisions. A Blue House petition calling for a complete ban on Chinese entry surpassed 500,000 signatures in just five days, indicating a strong public sentiment.

The government must consider various variables such as the World Health Organization (WHO) response and diplomatic relations with the Chinese government. However, from the public’s perspective, the response may appear passive. The Blue House plans to respond to petitions with over 200,000 signatures, but the dilemma deepens.

Sim Jae-cheol, floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party, and other floor leadership members are attending the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 28th, delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The opposition party’s tough stance is because this issue can be used to politically pressure the ruling party ahead of the general election. Shim Jae-cheol, floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party, stated at the floor strategy meeting on the 28th, "There is a need to devise measures to completely block additional infection possibilities, such as banning Chinese travelers from entering the country." He increased pressure, saying it is time to put into practice the Blue House’s pledge to be the control tower.

The Blue House and the ruling party maintain that 'excessive fear' does not help solve the problem, but public anxiety is not subsiding. The ruling party emphasized that the political sector must work together to increase trust in the government’s quarantine system.

Lee In-young, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the National Assembly floor strategy meeting that day, "The most dangerous things are distrust and fear," adding, "Issues involving the lives of the people are not subjects for political strife, and we must establish a tradition where there is no distinction between ruling and opposition parties."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.