What are some controversial issues of racism made evident by COVID-19? A KLM Royal Dutch Airline in-flight racism incident is an example. On February 10, the door of a restroom in a flight bound for Incheon, which departed from Amsterdam, was marked with a notice only in Korean, that said “Room for crew members only.” It is astonishing that the notice was only in Korean in spite of the passengers’ various nationalities. Giving the guidance not to use the restroom exclusively in Korean, though it was a flight with citizens of many different countries besides Koreans, means they regarded Korean passengers in particular as potential coronavirus holders. When a Korean passenger took a picture of the notice with her mobile phone, the assistant purser reacted angrily, did not apologize, and even required that she delete the photo. Some criticized the act of posting the notice suggesting the person knew it was wrong and might be considered racist, because the assistant purser banned photography to avoid criticism. KLM, hit by a wave of protests, ended up holding a press conference to apologize. The person in charge claimed that it was caused by a personal error of the flight attendant who failed to write the notice in English, and apologized for the mistake, emphasizing that it was not motivated by racism.
Then what do our students think about COVID-19 and the resulting discrimination? The Pharos conducted a survey of students at Kyonggi University to find out their perceptions. First, when asked, “Do you think Asians are discriminated against because of COVID-19?” 76.9 percent answered “Yes.” This showed that many students thought that the virus elicited discrimination due to skin color. Also, 69.2 percent replied "Yes" and 30.8 percent said “No” to the question “Did Discrimination Viewed through COVID-19 create a negative perception of the Chinese?” Finally, when asked, “What do you think about providing free relief supplies to countries with high casualties from the virus?” there were positive views, such as “It is a global problem, so it is natural” and “It is desirable on a humanitarian level.” On the other hand, some people took a negative view of the situation, saying that controlling the situation in Korea is an urgent priority.
1. Do you think Asian people are discriminated against because of COVID-19?
◼ Yes 76.9% ◼ No 23.1%
2. Did COVID-19 create a negative perception of Chinese people?
◼ Yes 69.2% ◼ No 30.8%
The indiscriminate social disharmony caused by COVID-19 appears to have been exacerbated by regional differences. In an official press release dated February 20, 2020, the government announced measures to prevent the spread of the virus among local communities as a large number of infections occurred among people in Daegu and Gyeongbuk Province. The problem here, however, is the use of the term “Daegu COVID-19” in the title of the country’s official press release. The concern is that the government’s use of the term in a press release could lead to the misunderstanding, that the virus originated in Daegu. After February 20, various public commentators suggested that localized discriminatory remarks could cause dislike for certain regions to deepen. The government admitted its fault officials said the term could have been misinterpreted, and that it was selected during the process of shortening the title of the press release. The government went onto apologize to Daegu citizens and the people. In addition, as COVID-19 spreads more and more, regionalist remarks are becoming more serious in society. Some media outlets and social networking sites also commonly use the terms “Daegu pneumonia” and “TK pneumonia,” which are often blamed for deepening regionalism. A lawmaker from Daegu once said that these terms discriminate against certain areas and that such regionalism is cold-hearted.
It’s no wonder we have to be careful with hygiene to avoid the virus. However, it is necessary to think again whether this dangerous disease, COVID-19, is the real cause of discrimination. Discrimination does not only apply to others but instead it is something that everyone can be guilty of. It is not right to view others critically without having examined our own culpability. We should examine the discrimination incidents that happened abroad, in our country and within Kyonggi University, and look back at whether we have viewed the Chinese with a discriminatory mindset. Moreover, we should recognize that what we need in a global crisis is not hatred and discrimination, but human solidarity.
Management Editor•CHOI SOYEON•clara3003@naver.com
74th Cub Reporter•GONG JINYOUNG•wlsdud03520@naver.com
What Happened in KGU? : 수원캠퍼스 학생총회 편
On April 4th, a general meeting of students was held in the Tele-convention center at the Suwon campus. The contents were the same as the general meeting of students in the Seoul campus: the first part was for agenda announcement, the second part was about the Membership Training for whole university, and the third part was simple Q&A time. In the first part, the agendas were all the same as the ones for the Seoul campus, and the result of the ...
[타 대학보 축사] 경기대신문의 1100호를 진심으로 축하드립니다
[와이파이] 큰 박스에 달랑 물건 하나, 과대포장 규제 정책 시행은 언제쯤
[문화산책] 이 세계는 멋져 보이지만 모두 환상이야
[네컷만화] 학생총회
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