President Yoon Suk-yeol has shrugged off the decline in his approval ratings, but as they fall below 30 per cent, he faces an uphill battle if he wants to get public opinion on his side.

First it happened in China. Now, Italy. The coronavirus struck hard, and authorities responded with sweeping interventions to keep people from spreading the disease further. As citizens hunkered down at home, businesses and roads suddenly fell empty and silent. One startling result: a decline in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.