[Bread-Baking Typewriter] Pandemic, Three Years More Horrible for the Vulnerable

Those Left Unprotected in 'K-Quarantine'
Masks Were Not Given to Everyone
Was Cohort Isolation a Successful Measure?

Throughout history, large-scale disasters have shaken the foundations of societies or brought about change. To avoid repeating the history where hundreds or thousands of people died or were isolated, what our society can do is to document disasters. One of the things revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which spread worldwide in earnest from January 2020, was the vulnerable reality faced by many marginalized groups in our society. The five authors record and carefully confront the gaps in our society exposed by COVID-19 over the past three years from their respective perspectives.

Viruses do not discriminate in infection based on race or gender. However, the risks of disasters did not come equally to everyone. Numerous studies after major disasters such as the Black Death that devastated Europe in 1350 and the 1918 Spanish flu showed higher mortality rates among the poor rather than the rich, people of color rather than whites, and those with less social power and resources. The authors focus on those marginalized in the process of coping with disasters as a way to document the post-pandemic society.

One group in South Korea that was not protected during the pandemic was migrant workers. In the early stages of the pandemic, long-term migrants were treated as carriers of foreign viruses and became targets of hatred. There were cases where migrants were banned from entering public facilities or prevented from going out at workplaces. A bigger problem was that migrants were not included in COVID-19 prevention measures. Public masks were only available for purchase by migrants enrolled in health insurance, but at that time, over 40% of foreign residents in the country were not enrolled in health insurance. Disaster relief funds and emergency living support payments were also strictly applied to foreigners, limiting the cases in which they could receive support.

People with severe disabilities faced even harsher lives due to the pandemic. The "cohort isolation" implemented to prevent group infections threatened the lives of people with disabilities living in confined spaces such as closed wards and residential facilities for the disabled. It was reported that about half of the residents in large-scale disability residential facilities were infected with COVID-19. Under the pretext of blocking external infection sources and controlling efficiently, people with disabilities were pushed into closed spaces. Not only was social distancing among residents insufficient, but the possibility of transmission was inevitably high in spaces where infected individuals already lived.

Non-regular workers who could not rest even when sick also lacked social protection during the pandemic. Early in the pandemic, group infections occurred at places like the Coupang logistics center in Bucheon and a call center in Guro-gu. Most of these workplaces had environments where wearing masks was difficult or lacked basic protections such as sick leave and sickness benefits. Care workers suffering from job insecurity and overwork had to go to work even if they contracted COVID-19. Additionally, women who took on increased caregiving responsibilities during situations like remote work and school closures suffered significant impacts on their safety and careers.

How should we remember the COVID-19 pandemic we experienced over the past three years? It is a clear fact that both the government and citizens worked together to keep the mortality rate lower than in other countries and responded relatively quickly to group infections. However, it is also undeniable that for some living in the same space, the past three years were a dreadful and tragic time. For those who hope that our society will be somewhat better prepared when we face disasters again someday, we recommend reading this book.

Can Our Wounds Change the Future? | Written by Kim Seungseop, Kim Sagang, Kim Saerom, Kim Jihwan, Kim Heejin | Dongasia | 324 pages | 20,000 KRW

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