The Omicron variant exploded in South Korea this week with new daily cases increasing 50 percent, to 170,000 per day. South Korea’s surge in the Omicron variant of COVID-19 comes as other countries - with declining cases - relax lockdown measures. So despite the increase in new cases of the Omicron variant in South Korea, the government’s under increasing pressure to end social distancing restrictions and open up social and economic activity.