"Due to Consumption of Wild Animals in China"…Growing 'Sinophobia' Amid Wuhan Pneumonia Fear

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the morning of the 28th, at the arrival hall of Terminal 1, Incheon International Airport, people arriving from Shanghai, China, are being guided to submit health status questionnaires at the quarantine station. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency designated the entire region of China as a quarantine target contaminated area in relation to the novel coronavirus and made quarantine and submission of health status questionnaires mandatory for all arrivals. / Yeongjongdo - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-gi] As confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) continue to be identified domestically, "anti-China sentiment" is spreading in tandem. Voices condemning China's consumption of wild animals, considered a cause of the new virus outbreak, have emerged, and calls to completely block Chinese nationals from entering the country are gaining momentum.

On the afternoon of the 29th, the Korea Animal Protection Union will hold a press conference in front of the Chinese Embassy in Jung-gu, Seoul, urging the cessation of wild animal consumption in China. They stated, "Over 100 species of wild animals are traded for consumption at Wuhan's seafood market," and criticized, "Unless wild animal consumption is stopped, the emergence of new viruses will continue without end."

According to the organization, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which occurred in Guangdong Province, China, in 2002, is believed to have been transmitted to humans via civet cats that had eaten bats. Even after the SARS pandemic, the intestines, excrement, bodily fluids, and skin of wild animals continue to be sold for medicinal purposes in many Chinese cities. Chinese health authorities also identified Wuhan's Huanan Seafood Market as the initial outbreak site of Wuhan pneumonia and closed it on January 1st.

Lee Won-bok, head of the Korea Wildlife Protection Union, said, "Although China recently announced a temporary suspension of wild animal trade, this is only a stopgap measure, and a permanent ban must be implemented," adding, "We will continue to urge China to stop the harmful practice of consuming wild animals."

As China's infectious disease prevention system has been breached and Wuhan pneumonia shows signs of becoming a global epidemic, and as the unusual dietary habits of Chinese people are suspected to be the cause of the plague, anti-China sentiment in Korea is being expressed extremely. On this day, the Liberty Korea Patriotic Corps will hold a rally in front of the Blue House Sarangchae, demanding a ban on the entry of Chinese nationals, the originators of the novel coronavirus. They plan to urge, "The president should issue an emergency financial and economic order to ban Chinese tourists from entering the country to prevent the domestic spread of the deadly Wuhan pneumonia." The group also visited the Chinese Embassy in Korea the day before to hold a press conference condemning China's concealment of Wuhan pneumonia. They claim that the Chinese government hid information and responded sluggishly, causing the new infectious disease to spread worldwide.

Earlier, on the 23rd, a petition to ban Chinese nationals from entering the country was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board, and as of 9 a.m. that day, 560,000 people had agreed. The petition requests a temporary entry ban at least during the Lunar New Year period. Although the Lunar New Year period has passed, the number of participants in the petition continues to steadily increase.

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