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| Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon delivers a speech during the Cities Against COVID-19 Global Summit 2020, an online conference hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government from June 1 to 5. / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
By Park Won-soon
COVID-19 puts the world at a civilizing crossroads. The unprecedented coronavirus pandemic has changed the entire environment surrounding us all of a sudden ranging from the international order and economic structure to our daily lives.
We, human beings, are heading for a new future we have never experienced before. In this era of crisis and chaos, the world is now paying attention to Seoul, wondering about the know-how that has helped this mega-city with a population of 10 million maintain not only its function as a city as well as its democratic system but also how it has maintained the death toll at near zero.
The key to S(eoul)-Quarantine and K(orean)-Quarantine lies in the two principles: swiftness and transparency. Based on the lessons learned from the MERS crisis five years ago, Seoul quickly conducted tests for the virus to a great extent, traced contact and implemented self-quarantine measures when many parts of the world hesitated to respond to the coronavirus. Seoul has taken various innovative approaches and used our sophisticated smart technologies to combat the new coronavirus: "drive-thru" and "walk-thru" testing stations, anonymous testing and the use of GPS to strengthen the city's pre-emptive response to COVID-19.
The leading players of S-Quarantine and K-Quarantine and the best vaccine against the virus are our residents. Each resident has taken the initiative in responding to COVID-19, following the government's guidelines and being willing to join the Social Distancing campaign.
Residents of Seoul themselves have shown solidarity and cooperation: for example, some donated their masks for the vulnerable people and landlords voluntarily reduced monthly rent. Going beyond the national solidarity led by our mature citizens, Seoul has recently taken the lead for transnational solidarity. We have provided medical supplies to the neighboring countries and launched an online platform named Cities Against COVID-19 (CAC), to share the city's successful experiences and know-how with the world.
While many countries closed their borders and imposed travel restrictions, Seoul moved in the opposite direction by opening our door wider to the world. A few weeks ago, Seoul hosted an international video conference titled CAC Global Summit 2020 to discuss future directions in the post-COVID-19 era with the world's city mayors, scholars and experts. It was the first of its kind to recognize new opportunities with other cities of the world in times of crisis.
The summit has drawn much attention from home and abroad, with its video clips on YouTube receiving 21 million views as of June 11. At the Mayoral Meeting held during the summit, a total of 42 mayors and governors from around the world endorsed the Seoul Statement that promises constant cooperation in a "new normal" era, and agreed to create an inter-city alliance called the Cities Alliance Against Pandemic (CAAP) to fight together against infectious diseases.
Even in the post-COVID-19 era, Seoul will continuously adhere to our values of openness, cooperation and solidarity. A change may be a crisis to those who stay complacent, but it can be an opportunity for those who are prepared with an insight into the future. Korea's efforts in the fight against coronavirus have proven that the most democratic way is the fastest path to a solution. Likewise, global solidarity and cooperation will be our path to a new chapter of human civilization brought by COVID-19.
Especially, ASEAN has special relations with Seoul as it is geographically very close to Korea and I was once sent as a special envoy to the ASEAN countries by President Moon Jae-in.
In fact, many ASEAN cities have been our major partner cities with which we shared the city's outstanding policies, and now amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Seoul has been providing support to them including information sharing and medical equipment donations.
The ASEAN cities have also promised to join our efforts to create the CAAP, and Seoul will not cease to go together hand in hand with the ASEAN cities down the road.
Park Won-soon is the mayor of Seoul.
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