As the new coronavirus, COVID-19, nears pandemic status, a second scourge has followed in its path: a virulent racism that scapegoats refugees, asylum-seekers and foreigners more generally as the cause of the outbreak. This is not only false and cruel, but also dangerous. Politicizing the crisis and stigmatizing whole populations risks turning fiction into fact by stoking fear and driving the disease underground, making it more difficult to manage. Have we forgotten the central lesson of the HIV

South Korean officials tracking transmission routes of coronavirus patients have found a potential link in some cases reported in different cities: fitness dance Zumba. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, some 90 percent of 92 total cases in Cheonan and Asan, both in South Chungcheong Province, are connected by Zumba. The patients were either instructors, practitioners, their family members or close contacts. “It is still early to confirm, but

The Shincheonji Church of Jesus said Friday that its donation of 12 billion won ($10.1 million) to aid the country’s fight against the coronavirus outbreak has been rejected. Shincheonji is a Christian sect that is at the center of the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Korea, with more than half of the country’s over 6,300 confirmed cases being members of its congregation. Apparently mindful of the widespread criticism that it is not taking full responsibility for the ongoing public h

The coronavirus spread has impacted online transactions since January, with the sales of masks surging while purchases of cosmetics dropped, data by Statistics Korea showed. Weather also played a part, with the warmer temperatures discouraging people from buying clothing. The shorter delivery days due to the Lunar New Year holiday also affecting the growth in online transactions. Upon the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea as of Jan. 20, purchases of masks surged 57 percent from a year ago, and

South Korea’s mask exports to China soared in January when the Wuhan coronavirus began to spread, reaching the same level as annual total of last year, according to data by the Korea International Trade Association on Wednesday. Exports of miscellaneous textile products -- which mainly include masks -- in January amounted to $72.61 million. This is 8.8 times higher than the $82.96 million in exports in the same month last year and 89.7 percent of the $89.16 million, which was the annual

Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young‘s response to the novel coronavirus outbreak became notable early on. Yeom was quick to recognize the gravity of the situation even before the Lunar New Year holidays. While others remained slow to take action, Yeom posted real-time news and set up action plans regarding a potential COVID-19 outbreak via his Facebook account. His action attracted attention from 226 local governments across the country. The mayor believes in the power of a positive “over

Admissions for KDI School of Public Policy and Management’s 2020 fall semester will open next month to both international and domestic applicants. Candidates can apply online from April 1-27. The educational body of Korea Development Institute, Korea’s leading think tank, opened in March 1998. Since its foundation, the school has positioned itself as a major institution in teaching and research in the field of development and public policy. It has a global netowrk, with over 2,300

With the vast spread of COD-19 across the nation, consumption rapidly dropped in February, particularly among offline businesses. According to data provided by the Finance Ministry, lodges nationwide saw their revenue drop by 17.7 percent, 10.8 percent and 24.5 percent in the first, second and third week of last month, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Restaurants saw their revenue drop 9.6 percent, 2.0 percent and 14.2 percent, respectively. Sales at department stores als

The founder of a religious sect at the center of a coronavirus outbreak in South Korea is not infected with the virus that has sickened more than 2,100 of his followers, the group claimed Monday.  Lee Man-hee, 88, underwent the test for COVID-19 a day earlier at an undisclosed location in Gyeonggi Province, according to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.  The group, however, did not provide detailed information about whether Lee got tested properly. The group later said he had undergo