[Beijing Diary] The Freedom to Misunderstand the 'Yellow Card'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] "South Korea and China share many similarities, but there are also subtle differences. A representative example is the color of the envelopes used to give money. In China, money is mainly given in red envelopes called 'hongbao (紅包)', while in South Korea, white envelopes are primarily used. However, in China, white envelopes are only used for the deceased. If such differences are not understood, misunderstandings can arise. It's like how a yellow card can be seen as either insignificant or as a warning."

Recently, a high-ranking Chinese official unexpectedly brought up the topic of the 'yellow card.' This issue has been at the center of controversy amid the strained Korea-China relations over quarantine measures. (The conflict escalated after posts on the internet complaining that South Korea handed out yellow cards to Chinese entrants to wear around their necks and quarantined them in substandard facilities became a hot topic within China.) Whether this is a perfect analogy or not, I understood the remark as a call to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and to better understand each other's differences.

Looking into the posts that sparked the controversy, the main points of anger among Chinese people were being treated like 'criminals' and 'poor treatment.' One Chinese individual expressed on their social media, "I have visited South Korea dozens of times, but I have never felt this bad. The yellow card must be worn around the neck and cannot be held in the hand. Throughout the process where officials checked PCR test results and confined people to limited areas, I felt like a criminal being taken away," showing their displeasure. Our government actively clarified the situation. There were no substandard quarantine facilities, and the yellow card was not targeted only at Chinese nationals but was required for all short-term foreign visitors arriving from China.

Although there is room for controversy, personally, I believe there is neither a reason nor a need to suppress the dissatisfaction and anger of the Chinese people. They are largely unaware of the treatment and measures foreigners faced upon entering China just a few months ago. They have no way of knowing about quarantine facilities where cleaning was neglected and only disinfectants were sprayed during multiple changes of quarantine personnel, bedrooms where walking barefoot turned soles black, meals that were unsatisfactory and felt inadequate, or the opaque administration that failed to properly issue receipts for quarantine costs that had to be borne by the individuals themselves. Not to mention the experiences of acquaintances who were confined in even worse quarantine facilities for over three weeks or the history of anal examinations. It is impossible to force Chinese individuals who claim to have suffered upon entering South Korea recently to accept that "the meals and accommodations provided by South Korea were by no means inadequate." They too have the right to hold grievances based on their own experiences and to misunderstand the intentions of the other side.

However, if the subject of anger is not individuals but governments, the story changes somewhat. China's recent response to the South Korean government by suspending the issuance of short-term visas and exemptions for 72-hour and 144-hour transit visas is clearly a retaliatory measure. Although the term 'retaliation' was not used, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in an official briefing that it was a 'reciprocal measure.' It is true that South Korea first restricted visa issuance and increased flight limitations, but behind this lies the clear 'phenomenon' of a surge in COVID-19 cases in China and the 'problem' of China not disclosing data related to confirmed cases. China, which neither proposed a reasonable solution nor showed willingness to resolve these issues, is not within its rights to misunderstand the intentions of the South Korean government's response or to express dissatisfaction.

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