By CC Smith

Coronavirus deaths officially surpassed one million globally, with the United States alone accounting for some 20% of deaths and 23% of total cases (John Hopkins Coronavirus Center). This is a staggering statistic on its own, but even more so when coupled with the fact that the U.S. accounts for 4% of the global population, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Many factors play a role in each country’s handling of the pandemic, with the most influential likely being national leadership, and perhaps culture itself in close second. The U.S., Land of the Free, is an individualistic culture, motivated by individual desires, independence, and freedom. South Korea, on the other hand, is a collectivist culture, prioritizing the wellbeing of the community and acting in accordance with group goals. 

There is a staunch difference in the spread of the virus between collectivist cultures versus individualistic cultures, with the former greatly trumping the latter in number of cases and deaths. When news of the virus in Wuhan emerged, almost without hesitation, the South Korean people temporarily sacrificed their individual liberties and allowed the government to handle the situation. The government itself then left decision-making in the hands of scientists and epidemiologists. Given the impact the 2015 SARS virus left on the nation, South Koreans knew the only way to get through it, was to get through it. Citizens agreed to install a COVID contact-tracing app that notified anyone upon exposure and would then willingly isolate for two weeks when and if they were exposed. The response was arguably pervasive given the government had access to the whereabouts of almost their entire citizenry, but South Korean citizens willingly complied with the guidelines and behaved in accordance with their collectivist values. In October, both the United States and South Korea reported their highest number of new cases. On the 23rd, South Korea reported 155 cases. The following day, the United States reported over 80,000 (CNN). 

To protect one another and the country at large from devastation, South Korean citizens willingly sacrificed parts of their freedom as soon as Wuhan went public with the news. Conversely, when COVID-19 began to spread in the U.S. in March, thousands of Americans proceeded with their spring break travel plans. As the economy gradually shut down in the following weeks, no mandatory guidelines, rather only suggestions, were emplaced -- only regarding how often Americans were allowed to leave their homes, due to the likelihood of massive retaliation and immediate calls for anarchy if stricter restrictions were instituted. To date, many Americans are still reluctant to even wear a mask, claiming that the government should not be allowed to tell citizens what to do. 

When citizens of a country act with one another in mind, comply with governmental guidelines, and do not give into every self-centered impulse they may have in times of global and national unrest, they will eventually find an equilibrium and be offered those freedoms again. When citizens of a country act with their own fleeting and individualistic desires in mind, the unrest will persist.