[Deputy Editor's Column] My Role in the Era of COVID-19

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The despicable and dreadful plague, the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), seems determined not to leave the Earth anytime soon. The despairing declaration of a Central Disease Control Headquarters official that "the world before COVID-19 will never return" is gradually being accepted, and everyone is contemplating how to manage their roles while living with the virus as a neighbor. Disease control on one hand, and life on the other.

Personally, I am learning how to be a parent in the "COVID era." Especially since my child just started elementary school and faced online classes without any preparation, daily internet attendance checks, learning confirmations, and homework submissions have become the mother's responsibility. Among these, attendance must be completed during the golden time for an evening newspaper reporter, between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m., which is quite cumbersome. Even with alarms set, sometimes the time is missed. On days with evening appointments, I quickly leave work, finish a brief discipline session and all submission missions, then go out again. My child's maternal grandmother, unfamiliar with the internet, persuades her grandson early in the morning to sit in front of the TV tuned to EBS educational broadcasting and takes photos as proof of viewing. The father, who can only come home on weekends, does his part by helping with several days' worth of craft homework or educational videos as much as possible in advance.

While our family is floundering, is the child's homeroom teacher comfortably lying at home? Of course not. Just last night at 10 p.m., the teacher urgently sent a notice correcting a previous misguidance about a new system called "Student Health Self-Diagnosis." Moreover, the teacher checks about 20 assignments daily and provides feedback to parents. Even with three adults involved for one child, this cumbersome task is fully shouldered alone.

The reason for recounting this disorganized daily life is to talk about the efforts to somehow accomplish what is given in the COVID era. Efficiency or inefficiency, right or wrong, is always important, but in fact, we are all new to COVID-19. As a reporter, I often write articles criticizing the government's poor COVID response, but I know many officials on the ground are desperately seeking solutions. When a certain official, who had become almost annoying due to not answering calls, finally calls back near 11 p.m., or when I see the anxious eyes of someone waiting behind me during a precious tea time, bombarded with calls and reporters, I feel that someone should recognize these efforts after all.

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