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South Korean Social Workers Share Their Experience in Fighting Covid-19

Information Type: NewsTopic: Covid19

March 24, 2020

Now the world is fighting the Covid-19 virus. In this fight, social workers are also at the forefront of the battlefield and hope this fight will end soon.

We Korean Association of Social Workers wants to share that how Korea deal with Covid-19 to co-workers around the world. I hope that the sharing of our experience would be a little inspiration and reference for other countries.

As of March 22, in Korea, 8,897 Covid-19 case in confirmed and 104 of people lost their lives. About Three Hundred Thousand confirmed cases occurred in 186 countries worldwide and 12,747 people lost their lives from the Covid-19.

Recently WHO proclaimed pandemic on March 11 for the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus which is second case since the 2003 SARS incident.

The Korean government also proclaimed Korea’s most severely damaged area where are Daegu and some parts of Gyeongsangbuk-do as special disaster areas on March 15th.

The social welfare delivery system and social welfare service which are the most of interpersonal service. It is not being performed as in the previous of Covid-19 crisis. According to governmental prevention policy, it is a natural step to stop the personal services. However, Korean social workers are still working hard in their own place. We check the health condition of people and client through a hello call, and we do our best by running with two feet to people delivery meal service to the difficulty of group meals.

In addition, social workers in living facilities still silently devoted to the socially disadvantaged even some of them were having cohort isolation.

In Korea, Also the educational administration is scheduled to open in early April, about a month delayed from normal schedule. In addition, this schedule may be postponed again. Many universities are also doing their best to provide educational services, such as converting offline lectures to online lectures.

Therefore the public and private sector are contemplating new types of alternative services.

We have central fundraising group in Korea similar to the United Way(USA) called the Community Chest of Korea. About US$57million was donated to support the damage of Covid-19, and currently US$19million dollar was used which is about a third.

The donations were mainly used for disinfection and hygiene-management, livelihood support for the people with low-income, and medical items for medical staff.

The Korean Association of Social Workers also began to support for social workers suffering from Covid-19 from March 11 with the support by Community Chest of Korea

Through the support of the Community Chest of Korea. Emergency psychological support was provided to social workers in Daegu and Gyeongbuk area which are the most affected. The necessities and food were sent to each facility, and more urgently provided to the living facilities in Gyeongbuk area where were into cohorts isolation.



Preparing for Delivery

Furthermore through discussions with professional healthcare company, we are trying to motivate the social workers who are depressed by supporting stress-control applications to social workers across the country.

Besides, we are planning to support the social welfare facility to purchase and support goods. And each local association is closely supporting the community through fundraising and hygiene products donation.

Not only the Association but also individual members are also assisting social workers and facilities in Daegu and Gyeongbuk where the most affected areas through their own fundraising and purchase of goods.

Lately, in connection with this Covid-19 incident, we Korean Association are trying to form a group of social welfare response. Pan social welfare task force will be established to fight Covid-19 and KASW will assist mainly. The task force will be 26members who participated the social welfare convention last year and wait for the various members to participate.

Future activities will be shared through Facebook and homepage later. Please be こconcern about our future activities.

At the moment, no one knows the end of Covid-19 and unfortunately it is expanding worldwide. Disasters are cruelly more deadly to the socially disadvantaged. We social workers will defend the socially disadvantaged for their respective positions. That is why we social worker must be stronger and keep good health.

Pray for worldwide with Sincerity.


We shall overcome!

Thank you!

Return to Information Hub

Region: Asia and PacificLanguage: English

Primary Sidebar

Official IFSW statements relating to Covid-19

2 June: IFSW Call for Action on Equal Access to Vaccines

20 April: Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind. 160 Million Social Work and Health Workers Collaborate for a New World Future

4 March: Coalition of Health and Social Work International Professions Formed to Advocate for Global Equitable Access for Vaccine and to Increase health and Social Protection Workforce
English | Spanish

10 November: Practising During Pandemic Conditions: Ethical Guidance for Social Workers

4 November: To the Top of the Cliff: How social work changed with COVID-19

1 July: The Social Work Response to COVID-19 – Six Months On: Championing changes in services and preparing for long-term consequences

19 May: COVID-19: the struggle, success and expansion of social work – Rory Truell reflects on the profession’s global response, five months. English | Spanish

22 April: Weekly Report From IFSW On The Social Work Response To COVID-19: Number 5
English | Spanish

9 April: Femicides: When you live with the murderer. A reading in times of Compulsory Social Isolation

8 April: It is the time to replace models of nationalism and charity with new global ethical foundations: What the World Can Learn from International Social Work

7 April: Ethical Decision-making in the face of COVID-19

7 April: Decisiones éticas en el cotexto del Covid-19

1 April: Social Work Responds to Covid 19 – Report 3

30 March:Humaniratian request to telecomunication business owners

30 March: Pedido Humanitario a los empresarios de las Telecomunicaciones

26 March: As social workers work through the Covid 19 crisis we work towards a better world

21 March: Secretary-General report on the Social Work Response (video)

11 March: Statement on IFSW and Covid-19

1 March: Update on the Corona Virus for IFSW Members

Key documents

  • Global Definition of Social Work
  • Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles 
  • The Role of Social Work in Social Protection Systems
  • The People’s Charter for a New-Eco Social World

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