People line up to buy masks — two per person, in line with government guidance — at a pharmacy in Guro Ward, southwestern Seoul on March 28, 2020. (Yonhap)
DAEJEON, April 1 (Korea Bizwire) — Local university students have decided to start a movement to share protective masks with foreign students struggling to purchase them.
Students at Woosong University in the central city of Daejeon set up a donation box on the school campus on Tuesday and began activities to share protective masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
They decided to start the movement in consideration of a large community of foreign students, including 1,164 students from China.
For foreign students, the public supply of protective masks is off-limits.
Ever since South Korea decided to implement a rationing system for distributing protective masks, foreigners are required to show ID and a healthcare certificate at a local pharmacy before they purchase medication or masks.
Reportedly, however, most foreign students have currently not joined any health insurance, because last year’s government decision to offer health insurance to foreigners set a grace period until March.
“An increasing number of foreign students are experiencing isolation,” said Prof. Son Dong-hyun, vice-president of Woosong University.
“We hope the movement will help foreign students, and build stronger ties with Korean students.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
