Best-selling author Jared Diamond says world should learn S. Korea's COVID-19 countermeasures
- 4 years ago
재러드 다이아몬드, "세계가 한국 코로나 대응 배워야"
As part of the Cities Against COVID-19 Global Summit 2020, Seoul's mayor discussed the virus with world-renowned writer and anthropologist Jared Diamond, who gave his views on South Korea's efforts to overcome the coronavirus.
Jang Tae-hyun reports.
Seoul mayor Park Won-soon has used this virtual meeting room in Seoul City Hall to discuss policies with influential figures around the world.
On Thursday, he held an online meeting with Jared Diamond, author of the best-seller 'Guns, Germs and Steel'. They discussed South Korea's response to COVID-19, and how this differed from that of the U.S.
"Koreans are more willing to cooperate and to accept directions from their government. The United States is at the opposite of extreme."
Diamond added that unlike in Korea, many people in the U.S. tend not to wear face masks.
"It seems to me that the world in general, we Americans in particular, have a lot to learn from Korea and from your own capital city..."
He said that there is nothing new about the coronavirus, and that compared to other diseases like the Black Death or smallpox, COVID-19 a disease with two percent fatality rate is not a big issue.
Its only difference is that the coronavirus is a pandemic and nobody is immune to the virus.
Diamond also offered some advice for tackling pandemics.
"We should think in advance about what problems may arise. Not only problems of disease, but problems of electrical breakdown and problems of financial breakdown."
He also suggested that Seoul City could increase its social security policies like cash relief to resolve problems related to inequality.
Jang Tae-hyun, Arirang News
As part of the Cities Against COVID-19 Global Summit 2020, Seoul's mayor discussed the virus with world-renowned writer and anthropologist Jared Diamond, who gave his views on South Korea's efforts to overcome the coronavirus.
Jang Tae-hyun reports.
Seoul mayor Park Won-soon has used this virtual meeting room in Seoul City Hall to discuss policies with influential figures around the world.
On Thursday, he held an online meeting with Jared Diamond, author of the best-seller 'Guns, Germs and Steel'. They discussed South Korea's response to COVID-19, and how this differed from that of the U.S.
"Koreans are more willing to cooperate and to accept directions from their government. The United States is at the opposite of extreme."
Diamond added that unlike in Korea, many people in the U.S. tend not to wear face masks.
"It seems to me that the world in general, we Americans in particular, have a lot to learn from Korea and from your own capital city..."
He said that there is nothing new about the coronavirus, and that compared to other diseases like the Black Death or smallpox, COVID-19 a disease with two percent fatality rate is not a big issue.
Its only difference is that the coronavirus is a pandemic and nobody is immune to the virus.
Diamond also offered some advice for tackling pandemics.
"We should think in advance about what problems may arise. Not only problems of disease, but problems of electrical breakdown and problems of financial breakdown."
He also suggested that Seoul City could increase its social security policies like cash relief to resolve problems related to inequality.
Jang Tae-hyun, Arirang News