Excitement at going back to normal life and a sense of relief was what Lee Ji-eun felt when she heard the news on Thursday morning that South Korea will lift nearly all COVID-19 restrictions, three years and four months after the country recorded its first case.
“It gives me a complicated feeling that the pandemic that struck us so hard is fading. Many hospitals have already eliminated beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients, so it is unlikely that there will be any major changes in our work as medical professionals,” said Lee, who works as a nurse at the Chung-Ang University Hospital in Seoul.
“Also, symptoms do not appear more severe than a cold, so it can be regarded as a simple infectious respiratory disease, even if one is infected with the virus these days,” Lee added.
Park Kyung-sun, a housewife in her 50s, expressed gratitude for the country being able to talk about the end of the virus, but she said she would continue to wear a mask even if all mandates are lifted as of June 1.
“COVID-19 has become a part of our lives, and the pandemic lifestyle has taken root in my life. I am glad we have reached a point where we are talking about the end of the virus, but I am still worried about COVID-19 and other possible pandemics that might strike us,” Park said as she was waiting for her train at Seoul Station in central Seoul.
“I think I will keep carrying masks wherever I go, and make my children do so,” she added.
For Choi In-young, a sophomore student at Incheon Posco Academy, it was a dream come true moment.
“The news brought extreme joy to me. I’ve been yearning for this for years, because I’ve always wanted to greet my friends without a mask and go to school (during the remote learning period), as I was pretty much restricted from outside exposure,” she said.
Kang Moon-jung, who works at a multinational company in Seoul and is an avid sports enthusiast, said she’s happy that outdoor activities will no longer be hindered by the pandemic.
“COVID-19 and the situation itself is not as terrifying as it was years ago. I’m happy that I’ll be able to continue my (post-pandemic) daily life and see maskless faces. Most importantly, I’ll be able to work out indoors and outdoors without having to worry,” Kang said.
“I wonder what (the government’s) declaration of Korea reaching nearly an end to COVID-19 pandemic actually means, because I’ve been living as if the pandemic had ended already,” Park, a 30-something office worker at a radio station, told The Korea Herald.
Park said, however, that workers should be given paid leave for a one-week isolation period even if the measure is no longer mandatory.
Korea’s move to phase out pandemic restrictions means lower traveling costs for Sumit Barua, a foreign office worker from Bangladesh based in Seoul.
“Visiting homes and families had been a concern for many (foreign workers in Korea). Although flight operations resumed (during the pandemic), tickets were expensive and health insecurity was another problem. Now, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to visit my hometown more often,” he said.
A business owner surnamed Kim, who runs a restaurant in Gangnam’s Apgujeong-dong, southern Seoul, said the government’s decision carries a symbolic meaning rather than drastically changing people’s daily lives.
“The restriction on restaurants’ operating hours and number of customers was lifted long ago, so the declaration of the end of COVID-19 today is unlikely to change my daily life that much, honestly. However, I think the declaration itself is meaningful enough to lift public morale,” Kim said.
Oh Myung-jin, whose daughters are in middle and high school, expressed similar concerns, saying that the pandemic is not fully over yet.
“As a parent, I’m worried that my daughters may be infected again because the number of confirmed cases hasn’t hit zero yet. I will adhere to masking to avoid catching the virus,” Oh said.
“But on a brighter note, outdoor activities at school have resumed, and my kids are excited about that. Also, my family will fly overseas for the first time since the pandemic this summer,” she added.
The government’s announcement comes days after the World Health Organization announced an end to the COVID-19 global public health emergency on May 5. Under the revision, the indoor mask mandate would be lifted everywhere except for medical facilities with rooms for hospitalized patients, along with mandatory PCR tests upon arrival to the country.
