South Korean Culture Minister Park Yang-woo has given credit to the country’s “pali pali,” or "hurry hurry," culture in assessing Seoul’s successful response to the COVID-19 crisis. 

In an interview with French daily Le Figaro released on Tuesday, Park was asked whether the coronavirus will strengthen South Korea’s soft power. 

He expected the country’s handling of the virus will enhance the country’s international credibility and status, adding it can also have a positive impact on exports of cultural products. 

When asked which cultural aspects of Korea have been on display during the pandemic, the minister singled out the “pali pali” culture along with a sense of community. 

He said “pali pali” is a manifestation of the once war-torn country’s desire to quickly catch up with Western countries and has negative aspects, but it also enables the swift adoption of new methods as seen with the drive-thru testing facilities the country first introduced to cope with the disease.