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Pandemic of COVID-19 and local communities

Pandemic of COVID-19 and local communities



Writer: Lee Jihun, Director of the Center for Gyeonggi Studies




A new virus named COVID-19 is sweeping across the world. This contagious disease started in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and is now a massive global threat. There are many deaths and intense uncertainty as to when it will be over. The fear causes concern and many big and small problems in every part of the world.


The European Union, which started as the European Economic Community in 1957, has become the direct victim of the virus. Not only Italy, but Germany, France, Switzerland and many other member states have been afflicted, and also the UK which has withdrawn from the EU, closing its doors. This situation reminds many of war situations, demanding full-blown prevention of the disease. Most countries have closed their borders. So, things are like this. We must be prepared for future change while fighting the virus.


Many talk of the retreat of globalism (world integration) as they see changes in the complex international system. A prominent columnist in the US said, “blocking of borders due to the virus is a proof that the world is connected”, and went on, “globalization in certain areas may fall back. However, globalism that connects people is still ongoing”. In fact, BREXIT and the US President Trump’s US First Ideology have led some to consider the crises of globalism for many years.


Independent of these issues in ‘globalization’, the meaning and nature of ‘localization’ has become an issue. It is one of two axes, the other being globalization, and these may change to a certain extent. Looking at Korea, where prevention has been successful, we find significant changes since the pandemic. Korean nationals in other countries are not being properly treated and come back to Korea in large numbers. The social atmosphere, defined by the central government for a long time, does not address local issues like local autonomous governments and faces changes. As local governments take proactive and autonomous stances to prevent the spread of the virus and to support the vulnerable, residents’ interests also become vital. In a disaster, social polarization may become severe and the responding community interests and systems are also being tested. It may be that the existing notions of states, at the macroscopic level, and localities, at the microscopic level, may change in the future.


COVID-19 will change the meaning of communities, such as nation states, nations, local areas and private residents, as well as the international order. Now, ‘locality/region’ is highly likely to function differently compared to what we have seen in the past in our lives, and suggests that there will be future changes. How will localities/regions and local communities change? This is a new and more desperate reason to deepen regional studies after COVID-19.



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