Korean Expat Community for National Disasters

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I come from Vietnam. It has been nearly a year since I first came to South Korea. I was going to start my first semester here in March 2020, but then I decided to leave absence for one semester due to the outbreak of the COVID-19. So, my life here has begun since August 2020 instead.

I still remember that South Korea experienced the first wave of the coronavirus disease pandemic in March 2020. At that time, many people still refused to call the disease a “pandemic” because it had not spread around the world enough. However, it was a “pandemic” for me since it was in the country I planned to visit. The number of cases in South Korea in this period was only less than China. I feared the disease, not only for being infected but also for spreading the virus to other people. I couldn’t stand the feeling that I might harm someone accidentally. Then, I decided to postpone my trip in the hope that the pandemic would be in control within 6 months.

My hope did not come true of course. We are now in the third year of the pandemic and there is no sign of an ending. I gradually understand that there might be nothing called “life AFTER the disease” but “life WITH the disease”. I, therefore, fear less the COVID-19. I believe I will be safe as long as I follow the social distancing rules. Washing hands, wearing masks, and keeping distance with other people have become my habits. Maybe one day going out without a mask when there is no more coronavirus turns into something abnormal.

I consider myself a lucky person because now I am here in South Korea – a developed country with a strong healthcare system. Even now, there are more than 500 cases a day, everything is fine because the government keeps the situation under control. The number of cases is not too many to handle, and the economic system is maintained properly at the same time. The number of cases in my country now is less than Korea (around 100 cases a day), but fear and anxiety have grown among the locals. Our healthcare system might not be strong enough if there are too many cases. The economic activity is not maintained well. And the vaccination is still in slow progress.

Obviously, I cannot say that there has been no hardship because of the COVID-19 so far. It is so easy to get a suspicious look even from your friends just because you have a cough. It is just hard since you cannot say for sure that you are not infected with the coronavirus, and you might behave the same way in the same situation. The COVID-19 has created a mutual suspicion among people, and I, consequently, feel it is harder to socialize and make friends. In addition, travelling and emerging myself in the local culture were on my have-to-do list before coming to South Korea. But now, I certainly cannot do any of those things for the best. Last but not least, a great wave of homesickness sweeps over me every time I think of my current situation. There is almost no flight from Korea to my country, and if there is a flight, the flight ticket is too expensive to afford. Besides, there are a total of more than a month just for self-isolation in the two countries (21 days in Vietnam and 14 days in Korea when I come back). Moving back and forth between the two countries also increases the risk of infection which I definitely do not want to take. I, therefore, know that I can only return to my country when I complete my study here which is more than a year ahead. I have never been far away from my family for such a long time, so I feel more and more homesick day after day.

Nevertheless, having no chance for travelling also means having more time for studying. Having less chance to get to know other people also means having more time to get to know yourself. Being homesick just shows you how much you love your family. I’d like to think of everything this way. Anyway, I have to live day by day. Why don’t I live happily? Why don’t I have a positive outlook on life which surely will make everything easier?

And how about you? What will you do when you know for sure that you cannot control anything but your attitude to it?