After The Coronavirus, A New Normal In South Korea

As India and much of the world remain locked down, Busan in South Korea is cautiously returning outdoors. An immigrant photographer captures the city post-Covid-19

- Niall Ruddy

Post-Pandemic, A City on the Mend

Until the novel coronavirus disrupted life in South Korea, artist-photographer Niall Ruddy’s days began with the same, meditative ritual in his hometown of Busan. He’d get on a random bus, ride for 30-40 minutes, and get off wherever that took him. It was how he fell for the charms of Nampo with its shopping alleys, capturing the markets and traditional neighbourhoods of the wider Jung-gu area, Busan port, and working-class neighbourhoods like Jaesongdong or Daeyeon.

After COVID-19 cases overwhelmed the country in late February, and in early March, Ruddy, 36, was cooped up at home for two weeks. But with rigorous testing and contact-tracing, South Korea averted the suffering that overwhelmed China and Italy—without resorting to lockdowns. And now, as India, U.S.A., and much of Europe largely remain indoors, Busan and other South Korean cities are on the mend.*