Elizabeth Mendoza 
SOUTH KOREA – Denise Martinez, a 2018 UTRGV graduate, moved out to South Korea back in February to teach elementary students the English language right before the COVID-19 situation worsened in the U.S.
She tells us how things are looking like now in that part of the world.
“The cases have plummeted here in Korea. We do go out but we still try to take precautions such as wearing masks and trying to wash our hands all of the time. Buildings are still enforcing masks. They won’t allow you to go in without wearing a mask, and they also offer Germ X at the door,” said Martinez.
Martinez also tells us that South Korean Officials have not enforced mandatory quarantine and that it has ben delayed for over a month.
“At the beginning when I landed, there wasn’t any quarantine, they only asked you questions like, “Have you ever been to China”, even at the airport on our way to Korea they made you check just..they would give you a paper to survey if you ever landed in China, did you have any contact with a Chinese person?”
She tells us that South Korean officials have not implemented any mandatory rulings except for wearing masks in public.
Officials have also not ben strict in enforcing rules since there has been a decrease in cases. The Korean government has closed or delayed most things like touristic locations, concerts, and public masses. However, grocery stores remain open, and people are very aware that they need to take their health into consideration.
“Since we are under a program they wanna make sure that our safety is their priority. So, as soon as we landed they enforced us not to step outside of the location that we were staying at that moment, but we weren’t forced to quarantine,” said Martinez.
Martinez and other first time educators are currently teaching students online. She says they are staying positive during this time and hoping to still have the best teaching experience they can get in spite of the impacts of COVID-19.
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