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Systematic assessment of South Korea’s capabilities to control COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Yoo, Katelyn J.
  • Kwon, Soonman
  • Choi, Yoonjung
  • Bishai, David M.

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Yoo, Katelyn J. & Kwon, Soonman & Choi, Yoonjung & Bishai, David M., 2021. "Systematic assessment of South Korea’s capabilities to control COVID-19," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(5), pages 568-576.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:125:y:2021:i:5:p:568-576
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.02.011
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Christian Dudel & Timothy Riffe & Enrique Acosta & Alyson A. van Raalte & Cosmo Strozza & Mikko Myrskylä, 2020. "Monitoring trends and differences in COVID-19 case-fatality rates using decomposition methods: contributions of age structure and age-specific fatality," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2020-020, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    2. Frauke Austermann & Wei Shen & Assen Slim, 2020. "Governmental responses to COVID-19 and its economic impact: a brief Euro-Asian comparison," Asia Europe Journal, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 211-216, June.
    3. Frauke Austermann & Wei Shen & Assen Slim, 2020. "Governmental responses to COVID-19 and its economic impact: a brief Euro-Asian comparison [Les réponses gouvernementales au COVID-19 et son impact économique : une brève comparaison euro-asiatique]," Post-Print hal-03518274, HAL.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kim, Hwang, 2021. "COVID-19 Apps as a Digital Intervention Policy: A Longitudinal Panel Data Analysis in South Korea," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(11), pages 1430-1440.
    2. Wadim Strielkowski & Svetlana Zenchenko & Anna Tarasova & Yana Radyukova, 2022. "Management of Smart and Sustainable Cities in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Lessons and Implications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-17, June.

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