EPISODE 3: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Korean Test-and-Trace

Welcome to Time To Say Goodbye!

Today, we have a bonus episode for you about Korean coronavirus test-and-trace—with Max Kim, a journalist living in Seoul who recently wrote a lengthy article for the New Yorker as well as an informative and timely piece a few months back for the MIT Technology Review.

We are still experimenting with the format of these emails, so today we thought we’d highlight some of the points we discussed with Max.

1:13 - How the Korean response to Covid-19 was a direct result of a failed response to the MERS epidemic in 2015.

10:39 - How the first days of Covid-19 felt and how quickly the Korean CDC sprung into action with a broad testing program.

16:01 - How Korea “rehearsed” for Covid-19 and how it got a little lucky.

20:40 - What are the actual strategies we can learn from Korea? And what are the particulars of the Korean test-and-trace program?

26:00 - Are there concerns about privacy in Korea? How are they processed?

34:30 - Could Korea have accomplished what it did without universal health care?

38:00 - The million-dollar question: Can we do test-and-trace in America?

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe