Reporter Jeong Seong-Yup, SBS Press Headquarters, who worked as a correspondent in Beijing, where Corona 19 first appeared, returned home. Reporter Sung-Yeop Jung (currently Senior Vice-Chairman of SDF Team) tells the story he experienced in the midst of Corona 19, from unprepared local coverage to anxiety about infections felt in the field, and conditions of'new survival' in a pandemic situation.

Q. How long did you spend in correspondents in Beijing?

I have been working for about 3 years and 3 months since April 2017. Starting from the time of the deployment, the chairman of the State Council, Kim Jong-un, visited China four times, and after the US-China trade war, Hong Kong's democratization protests and finally to Corona 19.. Nonetheless, the event that has greatly affected the world for such a long time may be the Corona19 situation in the last six months. It's been about 5 days since I arrived in Seoul. I can't go outside the house. I work from home using video connections. Compared to the appearance of the correspondents of the previous year, it seems to be undergoing another resignation procedure that has not been experienced

.

China's coverage environment is completely different from ours. In fact, it is not easy to meet and hear responsible officials even if it is not Corona19. In China, almost all issues have been set by the Communist Party's propaganda department, and only published or reported to the extent that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or state media does not deviate from the guidelines. It wasn't easy before Corona 19 that correspondents covered as much as they wanted, but it became more serious after the Corona Pandemic. In particular, on-site coverage has become almost impossible. While staying in Beijing, there was a challenge to check the situation across China, and in particular, broadcasters often needed to report on the scene, and the situation where they had to go to the scene and the situation that was condemned as a result continued to collide.

Q. What is particularly memorable during the interview process?

When Wuhan City was released from the blockade, I went to Beijing West Station. I went to take pictures of Wuhan citizens on the train and do interviews, but while I was waiting, I was caught by the public security in the station. It is impossible to shoot. Even if we know that Chinese media have already filmed, we can't cover it. So, after a bit of protest, I stole my passport and reporter issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I was caught by the public security office and listened to the advice. Because of China's high economic growth, the perception of being a socialist state was becoming increasingly scarce, but after experiencing this national catastrophe,'China was a socialist state! '. Considering the blockade of Wuhan City, the city of 11 million people with a population larger than Seoul was sealed in one morning. Although there are not so many hospitals that can cope with infectious diseases in Wuhan City, the idea of ​​sacrificing'cows' for'large' prevented citizens from entering. In order to save 1.4 billion, I could feel the socialist way of thinking that about 11 million people could be sacrificed.


Q. Did you feel a lot of anxiety about infection?

There was also no fear of infection. Our SBS Beijing office alone has two correspondents and three local staff. Since they all commute to work and live together all day in the office, they are working with anxiety about infection. Also, three of my family, except me, were mostly at home. Since I'm the only person who works outside, I have the highest possibility of infection. I'm the only risk factor because people who come in contact with people outside come back in the evening and get mixed up with their families. Another is that I am a foreigner abroad, so even if there was a suspicion or even a corona19 confirmed situation, there was no safety net that could be protected by society. There is no shield and you have to solve everything yourself. I usually don't feel that much, but in the Corona 19 situation, I was worried and anxious about what to do if an emergency occurs.

Q. What is the relationship between Korea and China in the Corona Pandemic situation?

In Korea, when there were many confirmed people in Daegu, a similar pattern occurred in China in the past. There was also a phrase saying that Koreans are not allowed. On the contrary, as the corona situation spread to the United States or Europe, and Korea and China showed signs of slump, the two countries were perceived as very close, as if they did. However, as the situation changed, I thought whether it would be necessary to exchange relations between the two countries from a long-term perspective that is more extensive and stable than each other.

Q. What was the'condition of survival' you felt while experiencing the'world you have never experienced' in Beijing?

What is the most thought of'governance trust' while experiencing Corona19 in China? It was. I felt how much trust in a country's sovereignty had a direct impact on the survival of its members, and that it could also determine the country's competitiveness. Chinese officials say that fewer than 90,000 confirmed people have been captured by statistics, and even Chinese people do not believe in the number itself. It means that trust in the government is so low. It also affects the survival of the people and is a big indicator of the nation's overall competitiveness. The other is that Corona 19 responds to each situation in the Corona Pandemic phase, so there are many conflicts with neighboring countries or other countries. The global conflict pattern is getting worse, but it seems that it is not easy to resolve with the current structure. I had to think of a new mechanism for healing and coordinating international conflicts, and that the polarized structure represented by the US and China G2 reached its limits.