Why South Korea is The Best Country to Live During Pandemic, and I Will Not Go Back to America
I am a millennial nomad who left the United States to live in the safest country in the world.
No one is safe from this coronavirus. Even President Trump got it during his term of presidency. America is not the safest place to live, and millions of Americans suffered from COVID-19. Some have lost their friends and family members within the past year due to the coronavirus. Every part of America is affected, and there seems no place to hide. Meanwhile, I moved to South Korea, which I found to be one of the safest places on earth.
Strict national governance
I am so grateful to be living in a country where every citizen wears masks, and the government traces every single affected COVID-19 patient down to the root. Every travelers and citizens who come to Korea from visiting other countries must quarantine themselves for 14 days. There is an app that all travelers must download during the quarantine and one assigned government employee checks for temperature and health conditions by phone call and via the app daily. All personnel quarantined cannot go outside the home or place of quarantine because they are on a 24/7 watch from the Korean government. I also went through 14-day quarantine under strict regulation and daily temperature checks. I was not allowed to meet any other people nor go anywhere outside of the quarantine boundary.
Korea is one of the countries with these strict guidelines on COVID-19 on a national level. It is why Korea is the safest country in the world right now, and the number has been low since the burst of cases in February, compared to other countries. Since the beginning, Korea has also been transparent about the COVID-19 instances, showing the positive test results and the number of patients treated. During my quarantine, I received multiple text messages from the national COVID-19 alert line on the updates of cases and if there was a new COVID-19 patient in town. The Korean government has notified its citizens regarding COVID-19 news as a priority and public safety.
Freedom to travel within the country
After 14-days of quarantine, we are free to travel anywhere in the country. There are no restrictions on dining out to restaurants or going to the beach or entertainment venue. Since everyone wears a mask, the crowded space still exists in Korea. I went to a Hyundai department store today, and I was shocked to see hundreds of people gathered at a food court. It is not so usual to see these many people in one area during the COVID era. There was no single case reported for the past three days in Daegu, South Korea, where I live. Although some businesses have seen fewer customers than pre-COVID-19, almost all restaurants, parks, libraries, gym, hotels, and historic places are open for business. I believe that South Korea is one of the few countries in the world that feels safe to go out to crowded spaces like shopping malls and movie theaters.
Cheaper cost of living
The cost of living in Daegu, South Korea, is significantly lower than in most American states. The average monthly wage for an employee is around $1,970. Therefore, most groceries, restaurants, and other household necessities items are priced around the average salary which is lower than in different cities of the world. I am saving more money per month than I lived in America due to the cheaper cost of living in South Korea.
Are you interested in more information?
If you are looking for options to international foreign living, please let me know in the comment. I am a millennial nomad who moved from the United States to live in a safe place from coronavirus and political chaos. It was a big life decision to move, but worth every moment of my time. I have no plan to go back to the United States until the vaccines come out and are clear from the pandemic. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying my life trying authentic Korean foods and learning about the new culture!
Life is good again. :)
