Olivia in Seoul: I have become more grateful for the small pleasures of everyday life

  • Keep In Touch
  • Le 3 avril 2020
Jihye 'Olivia' Jun (IMM 15) lives and works in Seoul, South Korea where she is ambassador of one of Audencia's newest alumni communities. She works as a data manager for Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol and has shared her experience of social distancing and confinement in her home city.

How did Korea manage the Covid-19 situation?
Firstly, the national and local governments made the following recommendations:
1) Encouraging social distance and working from home
2) Using a mask
3) Avoiding places with large crowds
4) Washing hands regularly 

Secondly, the government shared the detailed update status of each coronavirus case in order to prevent public anxiety, informing us via text message (a coronavirus emergency alert message) and the internet in real time. The message contained information on infected person/s in the locality and the routes or places he/she has been. 

On top of this, the government controlled the sale of masks to public by adopting a system where you purchase masks on specific days of the week based on your birth year. You could go and buy up to 2 masks for yourself according to your birth year.

Furthermore, hand sanitizers are available everywhere. In the subway, restaurants, even the public bicycle parking lots, almost every place that you can think of.  

What measures do you think worked the best? 
I think that each measure was complementary to the other rather than there being only one best measure. If I had to choose one, I think the system of informing the public of the latest status via text messages and the internet was quite effective. 

How did you keep in touch with your family and friends during confinement? 
I kept in touch with my friends by telephone, messagin or video calls. I was trying to respect the rules and people around me are being really careful and also trying to stay at home. Most people if they can, work from home and the schools have closed. Currently, Korea has no compulsory confinement for everyone unless infected by the virus. However, I cancelled meetings and events then returned home immediately after work. 

What advice would you give to fellow alumni in France during this period of lockdown? 
In Korea, many people who were recommended to stay at home or who self-isolated voluntarily reported lack of exercise and eating too much as being their main problems. Therefore, I would like to suggest to my French classmates and friends to have simple and easy ‘home workout’ and keep a healthy eating habit. 

What did you learn about yourself during this period? 
To be honest, at the beginning I didn't take the outbreak very seriously. However, now I’ve realised that I need to be more cautious and make sure we take care of each other. Furthermore, I have become more grateful for the small pleasures of everyday life. 

How do you feel about going back to the office?
I just want to return casually, but wearing a mask. 

Are there any new habits that you gained during your confinement that you will continue to use?
In order to do social distancing, I voluntarily stayed at home. So far, I cooked and read a lot and I wrote the writings and shared with friends through emails . I would like to continue these as my habits even in the future. Also, I watched a lot of movies at home that I had been missed due to heavy schedules. Furthermore, I was able to contact with my family members, friends more often via phone and messengers.
 
I hope the situation will improve and everybody is safe and healthy. 
 

3 photos showing omnipresent hand sanitizers in public places
En savoir plus sur ...
Dans la même catégorie
Autres actualités