Really quickly. There were some COVID-19 clusters related to factories with overcrowded dorms that happened to have a lot of migrant workers. Frustrated that despite the COVID number not going down in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, and not being able to legally or politically do much about the clusters occurring at churches, saunas, and multi-purpose businesses, the leaders decided to go after the foreign community instead.

Both municipalities have ordered every single foreign worker to get COVID-19 tests by the end of March.

What is wrong with that?

Isn’t that good for public health?

Are you one of those anti-COVID-19 conspiracy theorizing anti-maskters?

Sorry to disappoint. No, I’m not. I’m planning to get tested. I’ve gotten tested before. Getting the test itself isn’t the big deal.

Let me repeat that.

Getting the test itself isn’t the big deal.

Most all of the foreigners I’ve seen comments from have no problem with getting tested. They’re not protesting that.

It’s the thinking behind this order that is the big deal. Not only is it illogical to test an entire demographic based on a few clusters, it’s damaging. It’s damaging to said demographic, and it’s damaging to the community’s health. I mentioned in a Reuters article that following this logic, every Christian in Seoul and Gyeonggi should be tested because a significant amount of clusters have occurred in Christian churches.

But that makes no sense, I agree.

I was researching other countries or cities who have done a blanket order like this, and I’ve only found Malaysia. No democracy in the OECD has done this except South Korea. Yet Malaysia focused on factories and boarding conditions of workers. They put the business owners under the microscopes. In Gyeonggi Province, they placed the burden on the workers themselves, threatening to fine them up to 3 million won for not complying.

Both Seoul and Gyeonggi have acted magnanimous that they were going to look the other way from undocumented immigrant workers. It would be safe for them to get checked without any trouble from Immigration. Okay… good?

Question: If an immigrant is undocumented, and they don’t take the test, how would the authorities know?

Seoul is at least making business owners somewhat responsible in having them join their foreign worker(s) in the long lines at the overcapacity testing centers. Call it, Diet Xenophobia.

Not for public health

After getting the test, there have been mixed messages on what to do until people wait on their results. Until now, they’ve all have had to isolate in their apartments. We had to do that a few months ago when my whole family was tested. We even isolated in separate rooms. I don’t know how they’re going to do this in those factory dorms. Yet some have said that the testers told them they didn’t need to quarantine themselves. They could go out and infect more of the public unbeknownst until they receive their results.

Which proves even more that this is not for public health. This is politics. This is the worst kind of good ol’ boy populist xenophobia. This is painting every single foreigner from different countries, backgrounds, and industries as one faceless monolith. It’s as if in the government’s imagination all of us foreigners crowd together in the same big opium den in our off hours.

(I would not be surprised if I’m not far off in the minds of some.)

But you’re a white middle class expat. You’ve never cared about migrants until it affected you.

Yes, seriously. I’ve seen some wanna-be Tucker Carlsons say this on Twitter. Let me repeat what I said before. Everyone?

Getting the test itself isn’t the big deal.

Gyeonggi says it’s inspecting dorms, but really. What actions are they taking? Have they tested the Korean workers sharing those dorms or just the foreigners? Are they fining any factories for violating COVID-19 rules? We haven’t heard anything of that. What is the government doing to improve the living conditions of these valuable people who are crucial to the Korean economy?

History has shown time and time again that democracies sprout and people demand their rights when they have grown a middle class. This was true for Europe. This was true in America. This was true in South Korea. Because, yeah, when a responsible person gets some privilege, they use that privilege to demand fairness for everyone. I won’t lose my job or my visa status for speaking up. Just because someone more vulnerable than me is quiet doesn’t mean they’re okay with everything. Maybe they are. But when I see something that is morally bereft, I’m abusing what little privilege I have by ignoring it.

So really? Why is this a big deal?

In a few weeks, this all will blow over. We’ll forget this and move on to the next squirrel. Because why?

Getting the test itself isn’t the big deal.

The big deal is that this action has reinforced the Korean public’s perception of all non-Koreans as dirty and diseased.

Take in this quote from a Korean clothing store owner in Ansan:

“Since there are a lot of foreigners here, every time a foreigner comes in, it would worry me,” said Hwang Mi-sun, a clothes shop owner. “Now that they are filtering out everyone, it gives me a sense of assurance.” [source]

Yes. We’re being filtered to (falsely) put Koreans’ minds at ease. We’re being cleaned up and made presentable because Koreans entering her store don’t carry COVID-19. Foreigners do.

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Before the pandemic reached South Korea and soon after, stores and restaurants were focused on banning foreigners from entry. Yet the first people to bring COVID-19 to South Korea were Koreans. Back then up until now Koreans have been the highest carriers of COVID-19 in Korea. Even when taken as a percentage of the population, yes, the percentages of Koreans in South Korea carrying COVID-19 have been higher than the percentages of foreigners compared to the foreign population as a whole.

In May 2020, there was an outbreak in Itaewon at a gay club mostly frequented by Korean nationals. The media jumped at the chance to make COVID-19 a moral issue by implying that homosexuals were causing the outbreaks. And the public associated foreigners with the outbreak as well, since it was Itaewon–EVEN THOUGH the outbreak originated from a young Korean worker visiting the neighborhood from outside. I’ve had foreign friends on the subway being blasted by strangers for spreading the virus–even as far away as Busan.

This is why this is dangerous for public health. By focusing on all foreigners as the disease carriers, the Korean public will think they’re safe and will be less careful.

There is a precedent for this.

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