Lessons from the Pandemic Management: The EU and Korea’s Contribution to Global Health Governance and Human Security

• In Event: Assessing Global Pandemic Response Strategies: Lessons from China, Korea, and the European Union

Abstract

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the paper analyzes the public health governance during the COVID-19 pandemic in the EU and South Korea, framed within the human security paradigm. Shifting focus from traditional national security to a more people-centered understanding, the paper employs the human security framework to examine the nuances of the global health crisis. Through this theoretical lens, the research empirically compares and contrasts the EU's and South Korea's differing strategies, spanning from the pandemic's inception to the mass vaccination rollouts. While the EU's early approach was initially marked by slower responsiveness and intra-European border closures, South Korea stood out for its swift counter-epidemic measures, leveraging technological innovations and fostering public-private partnerships. Yet once vaccination campaigns started, South Korea found itself lagging behind and had to accelerate to catch up with Europe. Drawing insights from official records and media sources, the paper chronologically presents its findings, identifying a mutual convergence in approaches with the Omicron variant’s emergence. In conclusion, the paper distils seven key lessons from the pandemic management in both regions and underscores potential avenues for a strengthened EU-South Korea collaboration aiming to enhance global health governance beyond the confines of the major US-China geopolitical rivalry.

Author

• Tereza Novotna, Free University Berlin