[Window] More Frightening Than the Novel Coronavirus: 'Xenophobia'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Since the acute respiratory syndrome "Novel Coronavirus Infection (Novel Corona)" was first reported on December 12 last year in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, everyone has been feeling both anxiety and fear about the disease.

The emotion of fear is highly contagious. Upon hearing the news that a petition titled "Request to Ban Entry of Chinese Nationals" was posted on the Blue House's public petition board and that more than 600,000 people participated, I recalled the term "Xenophobia."

Xenophobia, derived from the Greek words 'xenos' meaning 'stranger, foreigner' and 'phobos' meaning 'fear,' refers to the rejection and hatred of foreigners or strangers. Examples include racial discrimination, disdain for foreign workers, and viewing refugees as potential criminals and opposing their acceptance unconditionally.

While this petition may be a desperate gesture to protect the health of my family and I empathize with that to some extent, I am very concerned that xenophobia might spread throughout our society.

The Liberty Korea Party proposed an amendment to the Quarantine Act on the 29th of last month, including banning entry of Chinese nationals and repatriating Chinese tourists, seemingly to gain public favor. Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn also criticized, saying, "The Blue House is busy correcting the term 'Wuhan Pneumonia,' but this is not a situation where they can afford to pay attention to that."

While I have no intention of covering up the shortcomings revealed in the government's initial response, it is important to point out the facts accurately.

According to Article 18 of the International Health Regulations (IHR), one of the international agreements, restricting the entry and exit of suspected carriers, i.e., unconfirmed non-symptomatic individuals, requires the approval of the World Health Organization (WHO). In the case of North Korea, which declared a ban on Chinese entry, it appears to be an unavoidable choice due to its underdeveloped medical environment. This can be analyzed as an extraordinary measure taken out of a sense of crisis that the spread of the novel coronavirus could escalate into a national emergency.

Correcting the term "Wuhan Pneumonia" is also not an appropriate target for criticism. Since 2015, WHO has recommended avoiding the use of place names in disease names to prevent stigmatization. Accordingly, since the end of last year, the government has followed the provisional name for the pathogen designated by WHO, "2019-nCoV (2019 Novel Coronavirus)," and domestic media have also accepted this change.

It is time to judge rationally and respond calmly and swiftly. Our global village is too interconnected to close doors and turn our backs, swayed by anti-Chinese sentiment and blind xenophobia.

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