South Korea's push for youth COVID shots riles students, parents

Opponents fear vaccine side effects as record cases dent trust in government

20211217 jab in SK

A student receives a COVID-19 jab at a junior high school in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, on Dec. 16. © Yonhap/Jiji

STEVEN BOROWIEC, Contributing writer

SEOUL -- Yang Dae-rim has yet to graduate high school, but he is already waging a public relations war against his government, taking aim at a policy he says tramples on the rights of him and his peers.

The 18-year-old has become one of the most vocal opponents of the South Korean government's plan to require youths older than 12 to present proof of vaccination as a condition for entering some public places, including private study facilities. He has participated in protests with students and parents, and was part of a group that filed a petition against the vaccine pass system at the Constitutional Court.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.