[Opinion] What Are the Philosophy and Vision of K-Quarantine?

On December 1-2, nearly a year after the world entered the COVID-19 era, the Xiangshan Forum, Asia's largest regional security dialogue, was held online in Beijing, China. This year, under the main theme of "International Cooperation to Respond to New Security Challenges," there were four sub-themes: the global structure, Asia-Pacific regional security, great power relations, and non-traditional security. While the first three remain old challenges, non-traditional security issues like COVID-19 represent new challenges that have created unprecedented levels of crisis awareness. If old challenges have deep-rooted conflicts that are difficult to resolve, non-traditional security still offers opportunities and space for cooperation. What should we do and how can we achieve international cooperation on non-traditional security? Here are some proposals centered on COVID-19.

First, each country must sufficiently develop its own response capabilities. Domestically, countries need to establish a strong, government-wide crisis management system and a unified legal framework. They must build disaster response capabilities at the civilian level, including initial response systems and command chains. A military unit specialized for disease disasters should be designated and ready to be deployed at the appropriate timing.

We must acknowledge that non-traditional security threats are no less serious than traditional security threats. The traditional security framework failed to identify atypical threats like diseases. COVID-19 deaths are thousands or tens of thousands of times greater than those in modern warfare. Aircraft carriers have been immobilized, and tens of thousands of troops quarantined due to COVID-19. The pandemic has made us all realize how deadly biochemical weapons can be, how cost-effective they are, how psychologically they can neutralize an opponent’s military power, and how destructive they could be if linked with terrorists.

The international community must all feel the necessity of global governance. We need to judge whether proactively establishing governance or leaving things as they are will be less burdensome. Even if we manage to get through difficulties roughly now, insufficient preparedness will cost us more next time. Social instability leads to national instability, which in turn leads to international instability.

The Western world must set an example. Like director Bong Joon-ho’s Academy Award-winning film Parasite, the wealth gap in the international community is severe. We must be able to support the human security of impoverished, vulnerable countries. After the COVID-19 crisis, we should sponsor countries that need control of new diseases and support economic recovery. Global altruism is necessary.

Cooperation between the US and China is essential. The US must have the will for global leadership. Although it nearly fell into the Kindleberger Trap, the new Biden administration is trying to return to world leadership. America’s comeback will become a focal point for international cooperation. China, for its part, must ensure its true intentions are properly conveyed. Using the example of the community of shared future for mankind, China’s emphasis should be on “community” rather than “destiny.”

International social distancing should become narrowing. Excessive emotions and actions beyond simple infectious disease control could trigger a civilizational confrontation between the West and non-West. At least in terms of human security, the international community must stop the three wars (legal warfare, public opinion warfare, psychological warfare). Utilizing middle powers in the international community is also one method. Under the sponsorship of great powers, middle powers can lead international cooperation on non-traditional security. Meetings such as a “Pandemic External Declaration” or a “Global Health Roundtable,” involving the World Health Organization (WHO) and key health nations, could also be proposed.

In conclusion, the heightened fear and sense of crisis over viral infections in the entire international community ultimately stem from a lack of political will. More important than producing COVID-19 treatments and vaccines is liberation from fear and security from fear. Although countries are currently fending for themselves, ultimately international solidarity and cooperation are the best solutions, and non-traditional security must aim for community. We need to activate discourse including the proactive presentation of philosophical visions and practical strategies for post-COVID international norms and order. Security must be prepared for when it is security. Korea’s contribution to world peace is not limited to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue. If K-quarantine can be used as a tool to realize a non-traditional security community on a global scale, beyond the inter-Korean life safety community and Northeast Asian quarantine and health cooperation system, it will be another contribution to world peace.

Hwang Jae-ho, Professor, Department of International Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

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