On the First Day of Vaccination, Citizens' Reactions Mixed... "First Step Toward Normalcy, Half Hopeful Half Concerned"

On the morning of the 26th, Shin Jeong-sook, a caregiver at an elderly care center, received the first dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Geumcheon District Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporters Kwanju Lee, Donghoon Jung, Jeongyun Lee] On the 26th, 13 months after the spread of COVID-19 in Korea, the first vaccinations began, and citizens expressed both hope and concern about the 'first step' toward ending COVID-19.

Office worker Choi Junsik (32) said, "With the start of vaccinations, there is hope that the COVID-19 situation can come to an end," adding, "I hope to take off masks and freely engage in outdoor activities within this year."

Especially in schools, there was anticipation for normalization through vaccination. Yoo (34), a teacher at a high school in Cheongju, Chungbuk, said, "I hope daily life is restored through vaccines and that students who have not been able to come to school for a long time return, making the school lively as before," adding, "I also hope vaccines that students can safely receive are introduced and developed quickly." Lee Jaeho (19), who entered university this year, also expressed hope that campus life would begin with vaccination. He said, "I want to get vaccinated as soon as possible and postpone military service," and expressed his wish to "actually meet university classmates and participate in club activities."

However, some citizens expressed concerns about the safety of vaccines and the domestic vaccination schedule. Office worker Kim (29) said, "Since vaccinations have just started in our country, I worry about possible side effects," adding, "I hope that management and measures for side effects are well prepared so that COVID-19 ends as soon as possible." Park (34), an office worker living in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, said, "Compared to other advanced countries, isn't the vaccination rollout quite late?" and added, "The people have followed quarantine rules well to get this far, but I hope the government secures safe vaccines quickly and carries out vaccinations promptly."

The government has set a goal to complete the first dose for more than 70% of the entire population by September this year and to form herd immunity by November to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. Self-employed people, who have been hit hard by COVID-19, sighed at the slow pace of vaccination. Baek Minwoo (42), who runs a barbecue restaurant in Mapo-gu, Seoul, said, "I have endured for over a year since the spread of COVID-19, but hearing that normalization will only happen by the end of this year makes me feel weak," adding, "Honestly, I doubt whether normal business will be possible even by the end of the year."

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