President Yoon Suk Yeol, speaking from the Office of the President’s disaster control center on May 11, announces the COVID-19 pandemic will officially end on June 1. (Yonhap)

On June 1, Korea officially began treating COVID-19 as an endemic, and the lives of its people have changed significantly.  

Korea has eliminated nearly all restrictions related to the pandemic, including mandatory quarantines, believing that it is now more manageable like a seasonal influenza. COVID-19’s classification was downgraded from “serious” to “alert” and the seven-day compulsory isolation period for patients has been reduced to a recommended five-day isolation. Today, most people do not wear masks even when they are in crowded places like concert venues and sports facilities.  

The tourism industry is the biggest beneficiary of the transition to an endemic. Even before the official declaration, the number of people traveling abroad rose dramatically, as evidenced by the data from the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. The ministry revealed that more than 9.32 million passengers used domestic airlines in May – a 24-percent jump from the same month last year. The number of people using international flights, in particular, spiked to 3.6 million, recording a 547-percent growth from 556,065 in 2022. Outbound tourism is expected to experience a boom this summer, with more than 80 percent of 835 people saying they plan to go on holiday in a survey conducted by Incruit, a local job portal site.  

The wedding industry is thriving as well. Over the last few years, a lot of couples had to either postpone or cancel their wedding ceremonies due to social distancing, but they now face almost no restrictions. Daytime slots on the weekend at wedding halls in Seoul’s five-star hotels are reportedly all booked until May next year. The number of marriages has been rising as the pandemic wanes, hitting 18,192 in March, according to the latest data by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS). It is an 18.8-percent increase from March 2021.  

However, some people are still grappling to adapt to the new environment following the transition. Quite a few young students are finding it difficult to study and socialize with their friends at school, as they are more familiar with online courses and digital hangouts. In fact, the number of students struggling with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has remarkably increased over the past three years during the pandemic. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of ADHD patients aged 5-14 stood at 56,115 in 2021 – a 23-percent jump from 2019. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family also revealed that among 240 counseling centers for teenagers, over 29 percent of all consultations dealt with interpersonal relationships.  

To brace for the outbreak of other infectious diseases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has already mapped out a five-year plan. According to this plan, it will exchange disease information with other countries more actively and strengthen protections for the highly vulnerable. It will also spearhead the research of vaccines and drug treatments while overhauling laws to better handle diseases in the future.  

“Over the next five years, we will cooperate with related ministries and local governments for problem-free prevention and management of infectious diseases,” KDCA Commissioner Jee Young-mee said.