Wuhan Virus Outbreak Shows Moon Jae-in Administration Prioritizing China over South Korean interests, Reveals Military Exercise in China
2020-2-1, Tara O
The Wuhan Virus is causing a global concern. In South Korea, the citizens petitioned the Blue House to stop Chinese tourists from entering South Korea, but the Moon administration has not suspended flights from China, which some other countries have done, stating that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not made the recommendation.” Rather, the Moon administration has been telling the citizens that there is no need to be overly concerned, if they follow the preventive measures like washing hands.
South Korea quickly donated 3 million masks, 100,000 protective suits, 100,000 protective goggles, while at the same time, South Koreans are facing medical mask shortages. It is expected that the domestic production of masks will be disrupted starting next week (the first week of February 2020), especially because the filters for the masks are made in China, and China has banned the export of the filters. Lee In-young (이인영), the Floor Leader of Deobureo Minjoo Party (Democratic Party of Korea) said “a true friend is one that helps in difficult times” and urged helping China. South Korean citizens are criticizing the Moon Jae-in administration for not considering the welfare of South Korean citizens, but instead prioritizing China.
[Note: Lee In-young was the head of Jeondaehyup (전대협, National Council of Student Representatives), just before Im Jong-seok (Moon Jae-in’s former Chief of Staff) took the position in the 1980s. Neither of them has renounced their Jusapa (Juche ideology or KimIlSungism) beliefs to this day. For more on Jusapa and Im Jong-seok, see here.]
There are also other behaviors that embrace China. The headlines around the globe have referred to the Wuhan Virus as “Wuhan Virus,” “Wuhan Coronavirus,” and “China Pneumonia,” but the Blue House implored journalists to use the term “New type of Coronavirus,” which deletes the reference to China. The Moon administration also brought up “fake news,” a term it often uses to suppress free speech. On January 30, 2020, Moon said, “the production and dissemination of fake news that promotes distrust and anxiety is a serious criminal act” and called for “stern responses.” In a reply to Xi Jin Ping’s birthday letter to Moon, Moon stated he will “spare no effort to support China to rectify the Coronavirus situation.”
South Korea also discussed with China about South Korea sending chartered flights to Wuhan to evacuate its citizens. After some delays, cancellation of approvals, and after South Korea paid additional $5 million to China, China finally approved the chartered flight evacuation of South Korean citizens from Wuhan, which was after the U.S. and Japan evacuated their citizens from Wuhan via chartered flights.
On January 28, 2020, Hankyung newspaper reported that 124 South Korean soldiers were quarantined; they were deployed to China for “battlefield training,” but returned earlier than planned to South Korea due to the Wuhan virus outbreak.
The Ministry of Defense said on January 28 that it had quarantined 124 soldiers who visited China to prevent the influx of Wuhan coronavirus infection. By 6 p.m., the Ministry of Defense quarantined 65 of the soldiers at home and 59 troops in the barracks.
The quarantine broken down by services or units:
- Army: 41
- Navy: 22
- Air Force: 27
- Direct reporting unit under the MND: 34
Due to the quarantine of the soldiers, South Koreans discovered the fact that the South Korean forces were deployed to China, and questioned why they were in China in the first place and exactly what field training they were conducting. It is also interesting that all services and the Ministry of National Defense participated in the exercise.
South Koreans are anxious that the Moon administration is not doing more to address their concerns about the Wuhan Virus contagion and instead prioritizing China. They are also dismayed that South Korean forces were conducting field exercises in China.
