In this collection of interviews focus on news and analysis from leaders and representatives of social movements and progressive groups from Southern countries that are collectively addressing the pandemic. More importantly, we are sharing how they are imagining and shaping the world anew after the pandemic.
In this interview, Lee, Dae-hoon, one of the founders of People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and founding director of Peace MOMO, talks about the situation in South Korea.
South Korea’s mass testing, tracing and quarantine measures are viewed as one of the more successful government interventions to the coronavirus pandemic.The South Korean government’s high level of transparency and efficiency are products of several waves of people’s huge mobilisations for democracy and against corruption over the last decade. This activism forced previous officials and prime ministers to resign or brought them to prison. Despite the pandemic the country recently held a parliamentary election.
It was one of the East Asian countries earliest hit by Covid-19 virus. It has recorded more than 10,000 cases of infection and only just over 200 deaths. It was able to slow down and avoid social and medical collapse. However, despite this good response, there are, of course, still social impacts and economic hardships to some sectors of society.
