President Moon Jae-in adjusts his mask during his meeting with small merchants in Taegu, Korea's epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic. Yonhap



By Oh Young-jin



The ongoing coronavirus epidemic has not just hobbled President Moon Jae-in but also may put U.S. President Donald Trump in as tight a spot. Chinese President Xi Jin-ping is also in hot water for not containing the virus at an early stage after the discovery that officials in Wuhan, in China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the disease, suppressed initial signs of the outbreak.



"One day it is like a miracle. It will disappear," Trump said at a White House meeting with the media Thursday. "The 15 will soon go down to three or four." He was talking about the 15 confirmed cases in the U.S. As of Friday (Korean time), the number had risen to 59.





A worker wearing a protective full-body suit stands near a framed picture of Chinese President Xi Jinping during a government-organized tour of Mengniu Dairy factory in Beijing. AP-Yonhap



Besides, Trump also boasted of the "incredible job" his administration was doing in dealing with the epidemic.



But repots have it that health workers who handled evacuees from Wuhan were not given proper gear or preparation, and were exposed to the risk of contagion. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised the alarm, saying the U.S. might face "community spread." What is happening in Taegu or Wuhan, China, are examples of community transmissions.



Trump is seeking re-election in November, and is regarded as likely to win, thanks to the humming U.S. economy and confusion among the Democratic candidates.



But he should be careful, however good he may be at dodging responsibility. If the disease spreads further, there could be plenty of variables for his re-election bid.



He could learn from President Moon Jae-in how one mishap in crisis management can threaten to unravel a presidency.





U.S. President Donald Trump, with members of his coronavirus task force, speaks at a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House. AP-Yonhap