By Do Je-hae
President Moon Jae-in set out to calm rising public fears about the new coronavirus, urging citizens to go about their daily lives and trust the government’s crisis management capacity.
“A person’s true character is revealed at a moment of crisis and a nation’s true capacity can be seen in times of trouble. Based on the world’s highest level of quarantine capabilities and accumulated experience, the government has been operating a tighter quarantine network,” the President said during a weekly meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday.
“As medical professionals have publicly stated, it is not a serious disease and the fatality rate is not high, at least so far in Korea. The nation has an advanced medical system recognized by the world and has excellent medical staff, so the virus can be properly managed and treated. We should be on full alert until the situation is completely resolved. But there is no need to be daunted by excessive anxiety and fear. I urge people to have a calm response to the situation, keep their confidence in our medical system and adhere to the safety rules.”
The President’s remarks came amid widening concerns that the fears over the coronavirus may have a negative impact on the economy. Fears over infection have resulted in disruptions in people’s daily lives, with many avoiding public places such as shopping centers and movie theaters.
“The new coronavirus is dealing an unexpected blow to the economy, causing huge disruptions in exports, tourism, production and consumption. We cannot just wait until the epidemic subsides. The government, business and workers must work together to overcome the crisis,” he said.
Moon also vowed more support for businesses that have been hit by the epidemic. “We will come up with customized support measures for each industry sector and speed up funding for small- and medium-sized enterprises.”
He also mentioned an additional charter flight to Wuhan to bring back Korean nationals. “To fulfill our responsibility for the safety of the people, the government will once again send a chartered flight to China tomorrow to bring home the remaining South Koreans and their families in Wuhan.”
Moon has been increasing his inspections of coronavirus-related facilities. On Sunday, He visited state-run institutions in Chungcheong Province which are housing quarantined Korean nationals who were previously evacuated from Wuhan. His job approval rating has been picking up due to his focus on a swift response to the coronavirus. A survey published Monday showed that 46. 9 percent of respondents thought he was doing a good job, 1.9 percentage points higher than last week.
