Yoonseo Lee is currently in grade 12 and attends Chadwick International School in Songdo City in Korea. Before Korea, she lived in Shanghai City in China from grade 3 to grade 8, and it was during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Can you introduce yourself?
Yoonseo Hello, my name is Yoonseo Lee, I’m currently in grade 12, living in Songdo City, and have attended Chadwick International School since grade 9. Before that, I lived in Shanghai, one of the biggest cities in China, it was the COVID-19 pandemic.
I think it was a special and unusual experience living abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. How was your quarantine?
Yoonseo At be beginning, we were able to travel back and forth between Korea and China. Since I was quarantined for two weeks after returning from Korea, I spent a total of four weeks in quarantine after my summer vacation. Later, the quarantine in China was changed to three weeks, making it five weeks, and it felt like my vacation was gone. I took a bus from the airport to a small hotel far away, and they kept spraying disinfectant on everyone, and I think they also continued to spray the hallways while I was in my quarantine room.
How has your daily life changed due to COVID-19 in China?
Yoonseo At first, the lockdown was planned to last about three days, but it suddenly expanded to several months without notice, and people only had three days’ worth of water and food, so everyone seemed to be in a state of panic. The doors to the first floor were blocked by something like a police line, the stairs were locked, and there was only one elevator per building, so it seems they couldn’t use it properly. Also, COVID-19 testing was changed from once a week to once every two days, and each building was called over the air, and we had to line up and get tested in a tent inside the complex. Also, I heard that if a confirmed case was found in one house, the upstairs, downstairs, and next door neighbors were also quarantined separately to prevent the spread, usually in shipping containers.
Then, how was your school life?
Yoonseo Classes were conducted online, like in other countries. I don’t remember anything special, but I do remember enjoying group calls and games with the kids. Later, we even had a weekly schedule where each person would walk around a designated area and meet friends who lived there. Thanks to the increasing number of online classes, I have more options when it comes to taking classes, and I think I’ve also become more accustomed to group phone calls with friends.
So, looking at the experiences above, the COVID-19 pandemic has been an unforgettable time for people around the world, but as an international student, it must have been even more special. What do you think?
Yoonseo Living abroad during a global pandemic was certainly a unique and unfamiliar experience. Wearing masks and quarantining to prevent the spread made me feel increasingly isolated and disconnected from society. However, through this process, the use of an online meeting system, shared experiences with friends, and built a bond of connection. Living in a place far from my birthplace, I think I was able to cultivate a sense of independence.
Yoonseo’s reflections capture the extraordinary challenges of living abroad during a global pandemic, where isolation, uncertainty, and strict restrictions shaped daily life in unexpected ways. Yet, within those limitations, she also found new forms of connection—through online calls, shared routines, and the resilience built from adapting to sudden change. Her story reveals how the pandemic, though deeply disruptive, also became a moment of growth, cultivating independence and strengthening bonds with friends who shared the same struggles. As she looks back, Yoonseo’s experience stands as a reminder that even in times of separation, human connection and adaptability can bridge the distance, leaving lasting lessons for the future.
Humans of Korea 