Mask-wearing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea: The role of individualism in a collectivistic country

The behavior of the general public is crucial for an effective COVID-19 response. The Republic of Korea has shown better performance in this regard than many other countries worldwide. Based on the theories of individualism and collectivism, this study analyzes how Korean culture and political preferences influence the mask-wearing behavior of people in Korea. We conducted two online surveys after the first wave and in the middle of the third wave of the pandemic in Korea. The results showed only small partisan differences in the level of mask-wearing behavior in Korea. Additionally, regression analysis results demonstrate that, when demographic variables are controlled, concerns of spreading infection and horizontal individualistic tendencies of younger respondents have a significant positive relation to mask-wearing behavior. Meanwhile, horizontal collectivism had a significant positive relationship with older respondents’ mask-wearing behavior, as expected in the collectivistic culture of the Korean people. As a result, horizontal individualism has similar characteristics with horizontal collectivism in Koreans and both have a positive relation to their mask-wearing behavior.