Report

Institute for Future Strategy, Seoul National University — Pandemic Cluster
1st-Year Report
“COVID-19 and the Republic of Korea: Reflections and Recommendations”

This report presents a comprehensive summary of the first-year research outcomes of the Pandemic Cluster at the Institute for Future Strategy (IFS), Seoul National University. The research aimed to reflect on Korea’s COVID-19 experience from multiple dimensions—public health, social structure, education, nutrition, governance, and technology—and to propose lessons for building a more resilient society in the post-pandemic era.

First, from the perspective of public health and human rights, the study revisited historical pandemics such as the Black Death, cholera, and the Spanish flu, showing that epidemics often triggered oppressive othering, censorship, and social control—hindering transparent communication and, paradoxically, accelerating disease spread. Despite today’s advances in science and democracy, misinformation, prejudice, discrimination, and fear remain pervasive. The study highlights that certain groups continue to face serious risks of human rights violations amid pandemic control measures.

Second, under the theme of infodemics, the report analyzes how the spread of false medical and health information during the COVID-19 crisis undermined public health efforts. It identifies the decline of social capital and trust in experts as core structural causes, stressing that rebuilding trust in healthcare professionals is vital for combating misinformation. Korean medical professionals, like their international counterparts, must engage in proactive, organized efforts to counter health-related misinformation and strengthen evidence-based communication.

Third, from the perspective of educational inequality, the report notes that school closures and the shift to remote learning deepened pre-existing gaps in educational access and outcomes. It calls for stronger collaboration between schools and families, enhanced parent education and support programs, improved digital learning environments, and the establishment of a national framework for long-term data collection and policy evaluation to close educational divides.

Fourth, regarding nutrition and dietary health, the study observes that the pandemic led to both undernutrition and overnutrition worldwide, each associated with heightened vulnerability to COVID-19 infection and severe outcomes. In particular, socially and economically disadvantaged groups faced higher risks of nutritional instability, underscoring the need for targeted nutrition support and public health interventions.

Fifth, in analyzing Korea’s quarantine policy, the report examines the nation’s TTIQ model (Testing, Tracing, Isolation, Quarantine), which was credited with reducing infections and fatalities through early detection, free and widespread testing, and systematic quarantine enforcement. Korea, alongside Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand, was recognized as one of the countries that combined robust testing capacity with effective containment.

Sixth, the study assesses the roles of public and private hospitals during the pandemic. Data show that Korea’s healthcare system relied increasingly on private-sector capacity for severe cases, revealing the need to strengthen public-sector critical care readiness and establish more integrated public–private cooperation frameworks for future pandemics.

Seventh, the report explores R&D policy transformation by introducing the concept of citizens as agents of innovation. Using the framework of transformative innovation policy (Frame 3), it analyzes how Korea’s infectious disease R&D programs evolved to include more participatory, citizen-oriented projects and stresses the need for continued development of citizen-participatory R&D models.

Finally, the study projects the post-COVID world, highlighting emerging shifts in politics, economy, society, and technology. It emphasizes the necessity of proactive national strategies for digital transformation, cybersecurity, supply chain resilience, and technological sovereignty amid intensifying global tech-power competition.

Keywords:
Pandemic, public health and human rights, infodemics, educational inequality, nutrition imbalance, TTIQ, public–private healthcare, transformative innovation policy, citizen-participatory R&D, digital transformation, cybersecurity, technological hegemony competition