"‘Corona Totalitarianism’ Statement by Hong Jung-wook... ‘K-Quarantine Is a Show’ vs ‘South Korea Handled It Much Better’"

"Focus on Vaccination Instead of Ineffective Controls," Urged
"South Korea Handles It Much Better" vs "K-Quarantine Is a Show," Netizens Debate

Hong Jung-wook, former member of the Grand National Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Former Hannara Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker Hong Jung-wook strongly criticized Korea's K-quarantine as 'totalitarianism,' sparking controversy among netizens. While some pointed out that the thorough quarantine guidelines from the authorities helped prevent a massive outbreak, there were also supporters who agreed with Hong's remarks.

Hong, who is reported to have recently visited New York, wrote on his Facebook on the 5th, "It took less than five minutes to clear customs in New York, and wearing masks was mostly optional," explaining the current quarantine situation in the U.S. "Although it is the country with the highest number of casualties from COVID-19, it is rapidly returning to normal life."

He continued, "On the other hand, in Korea, customs clearance takes an hour, and even though I am an active monitor who has been vaccinated and tested, I receive daily app entries, phone calls, text messages, and even AI calls. All to hear my voluntary response that 'I have no symptoms,'" he pointed out.

He then concluded, "Instead of pointless control, please focus on vaccinating the entire population," adding, "Once COVID-19 ends, I think I’ll change my phone number first." At the end of the post, he also added the hashtag '#COVIDTotalitarianism.'

Hong also posted a photo presumed to have been taken in New York. It shows citizens gathered near a cafe enjoying their rest, and most of the people in the photo were not wearing masks.

A post and photo posted by former lawmaker Hong on his Facebook on the 5th / Photo by Facebook Capture

Netizens' opinions on the post were divided.

One Facebook user said, "Calling K-quarantine totalitarianism? Thanks to K-quarantine, while casualties were soaring in the U.S. and Europe, we were able to safely maintain our daily lives," criticizing, "Even now, the whole world is in chaos because of the Delta variant, but thanks to the quarantine authorities, we are managing well, aren't we?"

Another netizen said, "Although vaccination rates are lower than in the U.S. and the U.K., overall, I think Korea handled it far better than developed countries." There was also a critical voice saying, "Thanks to those complicated procedures you complain about, Koreans were able to live safely."

On the other hand, some agreed with Hong's remarks. One netizen claimed, "I felt that K-quarantine was politically exploited." Another netizen expressed skepticism, saying, "K-quarantine is just a show."

Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of the 3rd (local time), 67.0% of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

U.S. President Joe Biden, at an event held at the White House on July 4th to celebrate Independence Day, emphasized, "We can confidently say that America is coming back," adding, "This Independence Day is a special day to celebrate that we are emerging from the darkness of the pandemic, isolation, pain, fear, and heartbreaking loss. America is closer than ever to declaring independence from this deadly virus."

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