사회적 거리두기

Social Distancing (사회적 거리두기)

Sah-hweh-jeok Guh-ree-doo-gee (Approximate pronunciation: 'sah-hway-juck guh-ree-doo-gee')

"Social Distancing" began to gain widespread use in South Korea in early 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally. The South Korean government officially announced this concept on February 29, 2020, urging citizens to practice it as a measure against the spread of COVID-19. It was subsequently implemented as a major quarantine policy by the South Korean government for approximately 1 year and 8 months, until October 31, 2021. From April 18, 2022, most measures, such as restrictions on operating hours for multi-use facilities and bans on private gatherings, were abolished. By early 2023, even the indoor mask mandate was lifted, and "social distancing" due to COVID-19 faded into history.

"Social Distancing" refers to a social agreement and a daily life practice aimed at minimizing direct contact between people during an epidemic to prevent the spread of mass infections through droplets, physical contact, aerosols, and so on. Its main goal is to slow down the rapid spread of infectious diseases, flattening the curve of patient incidence to a level manageable by the healthcare system, and preventing medical collapse. The World Health Organization (WHO) even recommended the term "physical distancing" to emphasize maintaining physical distance, as the term "social" could be misunderstood as abandoning social activities altogether.

As "Social Distancing" was a national quarantine policy to prevent the spread of infectious diseases during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, it targeted the entire population of South Korea. It became a guideline and a social norm that all men and women of all age groups were expected to practice in their daily lives.