Korea’s response to Covid-19 was widely praised. Startups had a lot to do with it

South Korea is increasingly attracting attention for its use of technology to fight the spread of Covid-19.

The country’s efforts to stop the virus were temporarily hampered by a religious sect that ignored government advice on how people can protect themselves and others, but by and large the Korean response to the outbreak has been fast, effective, and technology-driven.

Photo credit: Pxfuel

In recent days, the country has seen daily confirmed cases plummet, with death rate from the virus among the lowest in the world at less than 1%.

At the forefront of the country’s response to the pandemic is its aggressive testing and transparency, earning international praise and favorable comparison to measures elsewhere, including the US.

Transparency and access to data

Relevant authorities and startups have been given access to a wide range of information resources to track the spread of the virus and develop solutions to fight it. Case information and the movements of infected persons were also shared with the public through an interactive website, Corona Map, and smartphone apps.

“Public participation must be secured through openness and transparency,” the country’s vice health minister Kim Gang-lip told reporters on March 9. He added that his team was making efforts to “respect creative thinking and use cutting-edge technology to develop the most effective means of response.”

South Korea’s high-tech, transparent solutions have allowed the country to not only “flatten the curve,” but also do it in a less extreme, authoritarian way than what can be seen elsewhere.

Aggressive testing

South Korea is a global front-runner in testing for Covid-19. The nation can now test up to 20,000 people per day, with an average number of 10,000. A number of municipalities, including Goyang, Incheon, and Sejong offer “drive-through” testing pods – the first country in the world to launch them.

The method has since caught on in Germany, the US, and Great Britain.

The numbers demonstrate the strength of South Korea’s aggressive testing regime: As of the time of writing, it has tested 3,692 per million people, the best rate in the world. By comparison, the US tests just 23 per million.

Improved testing accuracy and speed

Various startups have also stepped in to stop the outbreak.

Seoul-based diagnostic company Seegene, for instance, developed a diagnostic kit for Covid-19 that reduces the time to get results from 24 hours to just six hours. The company uses an AI-powered automated production system to produce tests more quickly. Its kits now account for around 80% of tests conducted in the country.

“It was an adventurous investment for the company to start developing the test kit, as we weren’t sure how contagious the virus would be at the time,” Park Yo-han, an investor relations manager at Seegene, told Bloomberg.

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