Monday

I need to go do my weekly shopping. Apart from everyone wearing a mask, nothing much has changed here; it’s very much business as usual. Market stalls are abundant. Supermarket shelves are full. There’s never been any panic buying. We’ve had no lockdown. What we have had is a pervasive “trace, test, treat” programme designed to catch every infection. The government is able to look into our private records (credit card, telephone etc) to “contact trace” our movements and treat every potential infection. As I take the subway, I notice how meticulous cleaning staff are at scrubbing the station clean.

Tuesday

Today I’m entitled to my weekly ration of two face masks. After the outbreak emerged, masks sold out instantly. So the government decided to regulate supply and allocate most stocks into an affordable ration system. I’m a 1987 baby. People whose birth year ends in ‘2’ or ‘7’ can purchase their ration on Tuesday. Different birth year, different day of the week. I arrive at the pharmacy, present my resident card. My purchase is registered on a centralised database. Two for about £2. To Koreans, access to a mask is like a human right. Everyone wears them. Even babies wear masks.

Wednesday

It’s parliamentary elections day, and these will be elections like no other. Every precautionary measure is being taken to ensure safety. At the disinfected polling stations, voters must get their temperatures checked, sanitise their hands, and wear hygiene gloves. Even people who are in self-isolation are allowed to vote at a designated time. I visited my local station to find that there was a sense of mild excitement, people perhaps a little nervous yet determined to exercise their right to vote. Many were taking selfies with their hygiene gloves on. When polling stations close at 6 pm, it’s a record turnout: 66.2 per cent, the highest turnout for parliamentary elections in 28 years. If anything, coronavirus incentivised people to vote after seeing how well the country’s been doing versus the rest of the world.

Thursday