COVID-19 and the emergence of a level 2.5 society in South Korea

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

In this chapter, I aim to problematize an assumption that supports the success story of the K-quarantine model. The plot of this story is leaning towards the positive role of technocrats, scientists, and technology in fighting against COVID-19 by focusing on the activities of the KDCA (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency) and appealing technological solutions. In this narrative, Korean society looks like a sterilized giant laboratory stuffed with scientists’ scientific rationality and well-organized research plans, which downplays another dimension that the government’s selection of policies is a politically and socially contested process - rather than a decision based on pure expert knowledge apart from society - that continues interactions with civil society and social actors situated in a specific spatio-temporal matrix. By paraphrasing the concept of spatial fix, I suggest that the Korean government’s social distancing level 2.5 measure should be seen as the imposition of another form of spatio-temporal fix. Consequently, I highlight the necessity of a more multi-scalar and multi-temporal approach to analyzing COVID-19 landscapes, rather than simply fixating on the “success story” from a singular and snapshot perspective close to the government’s position, which eventually opens up opportunities for more fundamental questions about society.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLiving with Pandemics
Subtitle of host publicationPlaces, People and Policy
PublisherEdward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
Pages91-102
Number of pages12
ISBN (Electronic)9781800373594
ISBN (Print)9781800373587
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2021

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