"Enjoying School Life" vs "COVID-19 Concerns"... Will Vaccination Bring Back 'Campus Romance'?

"70% of the Entire Population to Receive First Vaccine Dose by Late September, Expanding In-Person Classes at 4-Year Universities"
Ministry of Education Plans to Actively Encourage Vaccination Among University Students
Students Anticipate the Return of Campus Romance
Concerns Over the Spread of COVID-19 Delta Variant
Experts Say "First Dose Alone May Not Provide Sufficient Protection Against Variants... Detailed Vaccination Plans Needed"

The photo is not related to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Getty Images Bank]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] "Finally, I get to meet my classmates and seniors/juniors." , "I'm worried that COVID-19 might spread again."

With nationwide kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools set to fully resume in-person classes from the second semester, universities are also gradually expanding face-to-face instruction. Student opinions are divided. Freshmen, often called the 'COVID-19 class,' who have never experienced campus life, are looking forward to the campus romance, while others worry that the influx of students could lead to another COVID-19 outbreak, advocating to maintain remote classes.

On the 24th, the Ministry of Education announced the 'Plan for Gradual Expansion of Face-to-Face Activities in Universities for the 2021 Second Semester' at the Government Seoul Office. According to the Ministry, face-to-face classes will start with university experiments, practicals, and small classes, beginning with vocational colleges, and are expected to gradually expand after the end of September when 70% of the population completes the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Ministry plans to actively encourage university students to get vaccinated after August, when vaccination becomes available for those aged 18 to 49, and will distribute promotional materials to certify vaccination and create an atmosphere encouraging participation.

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

University students are expressing anticipation for the resumption of suspended campus self-governance and club activities. Especially for the classes of 2020 and 2021, the reopening means meeting classmates and seniors/juniors they have never seen before.

Kang Mo (19), a member of the class of 2021, said, "When I was a test-taker, I really wanted to go on an MT (Membership Training) trip as a freshman. Because of COVID-19, I thought 'I won't even know my classmates, and my freshman year will end meaninglessly,' but I'm happy to be able to go to school." He added, "I want to get vaccinated as soon as possible."

However, some students express concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant recently introduced in Korea. Choi Mo (25), a senior about to graduate, said, "They say the Delta variant is so contagious that you can get infected just by passing by, so if many students gather, wouldn't the risk of infection increase?" He added, "Last semester, after resuming in-person classes, COVID-19 infections surged on campus starting from students meeting at club gatherings, which led to the suspension of in-person classes." The Delta variant is known to be over 60% more transmissible than the original virus, posing a higher infection risk.

According to an online survey conducted by the Ministry of Education from May 31 for five days targeting 94,803 university students nationwide, 66.1% of respondents cited 'risk of COVID-19 infection' as the reason for opposing face-to-face classes.

A university in Seoul last March.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

There are also criticisms pointing out the ambiguity of campus announcements. Park Mo (23), a junior, said, "Last year, there was an ambiguous notice that the decision to attend school would depend on the COVID-19 situation, so I signed a lease for a studio apartment but ended up not attending school and wasted rent for no reason." He questioned, "Even if you get vaccinated, you can still get infected, so how can we know what the infection situation will be like?" He added, "I hope remote classes can be safely maintained until this year."

Additionally, students' opinions on face-to-face classes vary depending on the type of class. In the Ministry's survey, 36.9% supported face-to-face classes for theoretical courses in the second semester, while 47% opposed. Conversely, 63.1% supported face-to-face classes for experiments, practicals, and skill-based courses, a majority.

Experts suggest that decisions on returning to campus should be made according to specific vaccination plans. Professor Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital, said, "One dose alone does not provide sufficient defense against variant viruses. The spread of variants will become more serious around the start of the semester in August and September." He advised, "It takes about two weeks after vaccination for preventive effects to appear, so sufficient time is needed. A detailed vaccination timetable should be established."

Meanwhile, health authorities estimate that completing vaccination can prevent over 72.0% of infections from the original virus and over 59.8% from the Delta variant. The preventive effect varies depending on the vaccine type.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Task Force, said at a briefing on the 24th, "Completing vaccination is very important to secure sufficient immunity and respond to variant viruses." She urged, "Please make sure to complete the second dose according to the vaccination schedule."

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