wwwnc.cdc.gov (17.09.2020) The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) classified the severity of COVID-19 into very severe, severe, mild, and asymptomatic (15) (Appendix Table 1). Mild COVID-19 is defined as alert and meeting >1 of the following conditions: <50 years old, >1 underlying conditions, and temperature <38°C with antipyretic drugs. Asymptomatic is defined as a patient who is alert, <50 years old, has no underlying disease, is a nonsmoker, and has a temperature of <37.5°C without antipyretic drugs.

sciencedirect.com (05.05.2020) One of the most effective ways that the Korean government rapidly dispersed these daily updates is emergency SMS messages. All citizens receive daily alert messages through their mobile phones from their local authorities. The alert message arrives with a 40–60 db alarm sound, and contains information from KCDC about newly confirmed patients and their recent trajectories if available.

oecd.org (16.04.2020) Provision of a subsidy to individuals who need to be isolated (both self-isolation and hospitalisation) to support their living costs and penalises those who are suspected to be infected if they refuse to receive diagnostic test or subsequent treatment or go through self-isolation.

oecd.org and mhis.or.kr (02.02.2020) Korea provides tests and subsequent treatment free of charge to patients and the cost is covered by central and local governments and the health insurance public corporation (the National Health Insurance covers 80% and the central government the remaining 20%).

 Korea Biomedical Review (19.06.2020) The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) said it would team up with the World Bank to create online content for learning Korea’s experience of running the national health insurance system. At the request of the World Bank, the NIHS has signed a memorandum of understanding with the bank to make the online learning contents about the excellence of the nation’s healthcare coverage and the NIHS’ operation experience, the NIHS said.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor (30.07.2020) The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Labor Welfare Corporation announced that they will accept the loan maintenance project for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with no financial resources due to the temporary management difficulties following the spread of Corona 19.

Ministry of Employment and Labor (30.03.2020) Construction workers are being hit hard by the spread of Covid-19 due to delayed contracts and construction suspensions. Zero-interest loans will be provided to construction workers from mid-April to help their livelihoods, with individual loans capped at KRW 2 million.

Ministry of Employment and Labor (30.03.2020) ‘Special Regional Employment Support Aid' will be given to 100 thousand workers, at the rate of KRW 500 thousand a month / ‘Emergency Welfare Aid’ of an average of KRW 650 thousand a month (for a month+α) will be provided.

17 administrative regions will provide 100 thousand workers on unpaid leave with monthly emergency livelihood aid of KRW 500,000 for up to two months, starting April.

mohw.go.kr (12.03.2020)

At the outset of the virus infection, Daegu saw the largest increase in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19. Therefore, NPS offered its facilities to be used as community treatment centers and was entrusted by Central Disaster Management Headquarters with the management of Gyeonggi International 2 Community Treatment Center that hosted patients from abroad that have relatively mild symptoms.