From Response to Recovery: Evaluating the COVID-19 Disaster Management Strategies in South Korea, Japan, and Indonesia

Abstract

In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has occurred in multiple waves with a prolonged duration. Then, since the pandemic has different characteristics compared to other kinds of natural disasters, it is crucial to have a more efficient disaster management system. The experience of past disasters has highlighted the suffering and long-term impact on society in terms of economic, social, and communication patterns to the policies taken in handling them. Therefore, this research comprehensively examines the pattern of handling COVID-19 in South Korea, Japan, and Indonesia; thus, it is expected to reduce the risks and obstacles that hinder disaster preparedness in the future, especially those related to COVID-19 or other SARS mutations. This study employed a systematic literature review methodology followed by a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) approach to generate data from all relevant studies from electronic databases (all January 2020 to 2023). The review found that each country has different approaches to intergovernmental relations, risk communication, mitigation & preparedness, and sustainable recovery from COVID-19 affect policy choices, such as the decision to adopt an agile and proactive approach or cautious and self-restraint-based approach. Furthermore, it is suggested that these countries restructure the legal framework, accurately quantify their existing resources, enhance coordination mechanisms with functional differentiations among stakeholders, and identify entry points to healthcare to provide better preparation for future disasters.