"South Korea Is Different... Foreign Media Reports It Will Be the First Case of COVID-19 Endemic Transition"

"South Korea, High Vaccination Rate, High Trust in Health System"

Citizens are waiting to get tested at the temporary screening clinic at Seoul Station. / Photo by Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] There is an optimistic outlook that South Korea could become the world's first country to downgrade COVID-19 from a pandemic to an endemic level.

On the 30th (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an article titled "Asian countries like South Korea and Singapore are learning to live with COVID-19," presenting this perspective.

WSJ analyzed that despite a sharp increase in infection numbers in South Korea and other Asian countries, they are gradually lifting pandemic restrictions and working to downgrade COVID-19 from a pandemic to an endemic.

The outlet reported, "Although the surge in COVID-19 cases in South Korea is the largest among developed countries, efforts to contain the spread have been abandoned," adding, "The rapid increase in cases is seen as inevitable."

It continued, "During the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea maintained a low incidence rate among Asian countries, but it is now handling the virus differently," noting, "Although infections surged recently due to the Omicron wave, the rates of severe cases and deaths remain low thanks to a high vaccination rate."

As of the previous day (30th), the domestic second-dose vaccination rate stands at 86.7% of the total population. By age group, it is 94.5% for those aged 12 and over, 96.3% for those 18 and over, and 95.7% for those 60 and over.

Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the University of California School of Medicine, said in an interview with WSJ, "South Korea could be the first country to transition to endemic status," explaining, "With 97% of South Korean adults vaccinated and high trust in the public health system, the country has the appropriate means to move beyond the pandemic."

Currently, the domestic cumulative fatality rate is 0.12%, significantly lower than that of the United States (1.22%), the United Kingdom (0.79%), and Japan (0.44%).

Meanwhile, the government is considering lowering the COVID-19 infectious disease classification from Level 1 to Level 2. The government classifies legally designated infectious diseases into Levels 1 to 4 based on risk and response methods.

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