masks: "My apologies: I was wrong."

Do you claim to follow the science? Then understand that masks are useless:

The only reason why I've worn masks is that they've been a passport to certain goods and services. When the mandate was in place, you could remain unmasked outside (although most Koreans chose to mask up), but you had to mask up in buildings and any form of transportation (although maybe not your own car... I'm not sure about that one). No mask, no service. That was it. Did I buy into the idea that masks might be helpful for things like large droplets emitted when coughing or sneezing? Yes, and since I've seen video proof of the difference masks make for large droplets, I still do believe in their effectiveness in that area. But for everything else, no. I've never believed masks were all that useful. The "chain-link fence to stop a mosquito" metaphor is instructive here. When you cough or sneeze, you also emit aerosolized microparticles along with your large droplets, and masks do little to nothing about that—never have, not even the sainted N95s. So follow the science on this and understand that mask-wearing is mostly theater.

South Korea still mandates masks for when you're taking public transportation (that includes taxis), entering hospitals, or entering pharmacies that have doors (some pharmacies are essentially open stalls, so they don't count, although the pharmacists themselves remain masked). I hope South Korea will eventually release its death grip on masks and go full-on UK about this. It's time to walk away from fear, guys, and to get with most of the rest of the world.