Dataveillant Collectivism and the Coronavirus in Korea: Values, Biases, and Socio-Cultural Foundations of Containment Efforts

Abstract

Abstract COVID-19 is as much a social as a biological problem and securing mass compliance with public health directives is a necessary condition of suppressing the pandemic. South Korea’s containment has been characterized by high levels of such compliance We contend that Korea's neo-Confucian traditions, ongoing exposure to diverse existential threats, and technology-driven development inform a set of biases and social practices that facilitate positive containment outcomes. Utilizing an advanced dataveillance infrastructure, Korea has benefited from the extant biases of conformity, convenience, and risk aversion in its containment effort, as many of the prescriptions for containment are consistent with the cultural norms of collectivism. We suggest that an understanding of the idiosyncratic and historically grounded factors of Korea's coronavirus response can contribute to a realistic evaluation of its applicability for other contexts.