The instability created from the COVID-19 restriction became a major obstacle for students in learning.

Starting from November 1, 2021, South Korea has implemented the first phase of “With Corona”, a policy that relaxes social distancing rules to manage COVID-19 like seasonal influenza. According to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KDCA), approximately 15,000 cases were reported in the first week of November, while more than 23,000 cases were reported at the end of November, even with 80% of the population fully vaccinated. Due to increasing cases, the Korean government is reconsidering having another lockdown. The government and health experts strongly encourage people to get vaccinated to create herd immunity and lessen the severity and fatality rate from infection. The sudden lift of restrictions from With Corona, followed by an increase in the number of daily infected cases, created a major problem in our society: hindering students from having the benefits of safe in-person learning opportunities with school closures. The two years of social distancing has limited students’ experience in both academic and social life. Students not only lost the opportunities to physically sit in class but also the enjoyment from social interaction in activities like sports and school plays.

Before the start of ‘With Corona’, South Korea’s idealistic plan was to reach a 70 percent vaccination rate. By November 1, the vaccination rate attained 80 percent, while adults hit higher at almost 90 percent. To foster the elimination of COVID-19, South Korea is waiting for the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize vaccines for children under 12, discussing the significance of herd immunity that requires 80-90% of the population to have immunity.

The danger of COVID-19 in social distancing measures is a major obstacle for students in Global Education City (GEC) to have effective and valuable school experience. The majority of high schools in Korea, including four schools in GEC, require students to fulfill a certain amount of volunteering hours as one of the credits for graduation. Before COVID-19, Korea International School Jeju (KISJ) had an annual program called Service-learning Trips for 7th to 9th graders to encourage the spirit of volunteering by traveling to foreign countries and helping people in need. Even though the program was designed for partial graduation credit, its true meaning came from learning a life lesson through global interaction outside the classroom and computer screen.

However, in the presence of COVID-19, students are struggling to find volunteering service opportunities in place of trips led by a school. Not only the service-learning trips but big school events such as homecoming, Halloween parties, fall festivals, and prom are also on hold indefinitely. Suyeon Moon, currently an 11th grader in KISJ commented: “I came here in 9th grade during semester 2, which was when COVID-19 started. I felt my school life was boring without any socializing events. One of my wishes is to have a proper prom before I graduate”.

While medical experts encourage people to get vaccinated, the anti-vaccine population claims their right to choose on taking the vaccine or not, especially due to the widespread health-related fear. In South Korea, 12th graders were on the priority list to be vaccinated to help them quickly return to the school environment for more meaningful classes before the Korean SAT. This support from the government displays the significance of students remaining healthy and receiving proper in-person education, where the learning experience is maximized through out-of-screen activities and socialization.

Two years of COVID-19 and thousands of cases every day in Korea resulted in a diminished awareness of the danger and a lack of effort to promote safety. Compared to the first year of COVID-19, many people are not hesitant to be in public, and the economy is starting to re-activate. People are starting to travel around and enjoy large group gatherings in the step of preparing for the return to a pre-COVID life. However, the government is continuously persuading people to get vaccinated. It would be a crucial factor protecting the whole population, especially the younger ones who cannot yet get vaccinated. Jiwon Shin, a senior in KISJ said, “there are things that people have to sacrifice since it is impossible to make every person 100 percent happy”.

COVID-19 has brought drastic changes within the country and globally, including students’ education and academic life. It is everyone’s hope for the pandemic to ease as soon as possible so that the students do not miss the precious time of youth to acquire cherishable experiences, learning, and memories.