Systematic Assessment of South Korea's Capabilities to Control COVID-19
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Report Publish Date: May 4, 2021
This journal article analyzes why South Korea was quickly able to control COVID-19, much more effectively than many other countries and without a nationwide lockdown.
Primary Takeaways
The authors found that South Korea learned from earlier MERS outbreaks and had put in place an easily adjustable and updatable legal framework for preventing and responding to infectious disease outbreaks. In addition, South Korean society accepted the government’s response and restrictions because of their experience with MERS. The government took a three-pronged approach: test, trace, and isolate. When early strategies needed adjusting, public health authorities had the flexibility to do so. As a result, South Korea was able to flatten the curve early in the pandemic without a nationwide lockdown. The country also responded quickly to later outbreaks among young people and churchgoers.
Overview and Objectives
The authors say South Korea’s approach to COVID-19 has been seen as a model for other countries. They wanted to know what factors contributed to the approach and made it successful so they could better understand the lessons other countries could take from South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Hypothesis or Approach
The authors say South Korea’s approach to COVID-19 has been seen as a model for other countries. They wanted to know what factors contributed to the approach and made it successful so they could better understand the lessons other countries could take from South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
How This Influences Change
“[W]e hope that the ‘core capability framework’ outlined here and illustrated by Korea provides a platform for other countries to assess their pre-existing capabilities so they can make their health systems more resilient to coming challenges,” the authors write.
Research: Go Deeper
South Korea’s COVID-19 control strategy has been widely emulated. Korea’s ability to rapidly achieve disease control in early 2020 without a “Great Lockdown” despite its proximity to China and high population density make its achievement particularly intriguing. This paper helps explain Korea’s pre-existing capabilities which enabled the rapid and effective implementation of its COVID-19 control strategies. A systematic assessment across multiple domains demonstrates that South Korea’s advantages in controlling its epidemic are owed tremendously to legal and organizational reforms enacted after the MERS outbreak in 2015. Successful implementation of the Korean strategy required more than just a set of actions, measures and policies. It relied on a pre-existing legal framework, financing arrangements, governance and a workforce experienced in outbreak management.
Health Policy, May 4, 2021. 10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.02.011
Research Team
This study and report was conducted and created by the following people.
- Katelyn J Yoo
- Soonman Kwon
- Yoonjung Choi
- David M Bishai
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