[News Focus] Chinese masks highlight amicable ties between Seoul, Beijing

China’s decision to provide masks to South Korea while imposing tit-for-tat entry restrictions on Japanese nationals is highlighting Seoul-Beijing relations. From Tuesday, China temporarily halted its visa waiver program for Japanese nationals coming to China for tourism, to visit acquaintances or to change planes. Visa-free travel will still be allowed for Japanese visiting relatives in China or going there on business. The measure is thought to be a response to Japan’s latest

March 10, 2020

China to send first batch of coronavirus relief items to S. Korea

China will send the first batch of face masks and other coronavirus-related relief items to South Korea this week to help the neighboring country fight the viral disease, a foreign ministry official in Seoul said Tuesday. About 80,000 N95 respirator masks and 10,000 items of protective clothing will arrive here via a flight on Wednesday, the ministry official told reporters. Two more batches, including 20,000 masks of the same type and another 1 million surgical masks, will be delivered on Th

March 10, 2020

Govt. to conduct fever checks this week on passengers traveling to US

The government will begin fever checks and other health examinations this week on passengers heading to the United States, an official said Tuesday, amid rising concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus in America. Starting at midnight Wednesday, government officials will undertake the examinations, which have so far been conducted by airlines, to ensure they will proceed "in earnest and in a more systematic manner," the foreign ministry official said. It plans to install thre

March 10, 2020

Seoul raises travel warning on Italy over coronavirus

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry raised the travel alert for two additional regions of Italy effective Monday, amid the fast-rising number of COVID-19 cases.  Seoul issued a “yellow warning,” which calls for travel restraint and is the third-highest in the country’s four-notch warning system, for Piedmont and Marche in Italy’s northwest and central east, respectively.  There are now five provinces in Italy with a “yellow warning,” including Lo

March 10, 2020

Moon orders diplomatic consultations over special entry for Korean businessmen

President Moon Jae-in ordered officials Tuesday to seek diplomatic consultations with countries imposing entry bans on South Koreans amid coronavirus concerns over ways to permit Korean businesspeople with health documents to be granted exceptions for entrance. The possession of a health condition report means that the outcome of COVID-19 tests is negative, according to Kang Min-seok, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman. The instruction came as a series of entry bans on people from South Korea makes it d

March 10, 2020

4 Japanese not allowed to visit Korea on 1st day of entry limit

Four Japanese nationals without an entry visa for South Korea were not allowed to board an airplane bound for Seoul on Monday, the first day of the two countries' entry restrictions on each other's citizens, the Ministry of Justice said Tuesday. South Korea halted a 90-day visa-free entry program for Japanese nationals, effective Monday morning, over new coronavirus concerns, while Japan simultaneously implemented similar entry restrictions for South Koreans for the same reason. The ministry

March 10, 2020

Thailand-bound passengers from S. Korea required to undergo mandatory fever checks

All Thailand-bound air travelers from South Korea will be required to undergo fever checks at local airports, Seoul's transport ministry said Tuesday, in an effort to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The mandatory move, which takes effect starting Wednesday, comes at the request of the Thai government to try to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The rule applies to passengers for all air carriers operating fli

March 10, 2020

109 countries, territories restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

A total of 109 countries and territories were imposing entry bans or tougher quarantine procedures for people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns Tuesday, up by three from the previous day, the foreign ministry said. As of 2 p.m., Norway, Slovakia and Rwanda have joined the list of countries and territories imposing stricter immigration controls and requiring or recommending self-quarantine, raising the tally to 49, according to the ministry website. Norway recommends a 14-day self-iso

March 10, 2020

Seoul, Tokyo kick off trade talks amid escalating diplomatic spat

South Korea and Japan on Tuesday met for the first time in three months to discuss their trade dispute amid dimmed hopes for reconciliation as the spread of the new coronavirus has led to more bilateral trust issues. The two countries started the director-general level video conference at 10:00 a.m. according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Officials from South Korea and Japan had planned to hold a face-to-face meeting in Seoul, but they later decided to hold a video conferenc

March 10, 2020

China to send relief items to S. Korea amid anti-virus effort

China is preparing to send masks and other relief items to South Korea to help the neighboring country fight the coronavirus, the foreign ministry said Monday. China plans to send about 1 million medical masks, 100,000 general face masks and 10,000 items of protective clothing to Korea through the Red Cross, the ministry said in a release. The two countries are discussing details, it said. The move came after South Korea delivered four batches of relief goods to a number of the virus-hit regi

March 9, 2020

S. Korea to use chartered flight to bring home about 80 citizens

South Korea plans to use a chartered flight to bring home about 80 citizens from Iran this week as the Middle Eastern country has seen a sharp rise in new coronavirus cases amid a shortage of medicine and protective gear, a foreign ministry official said Monday. Among about 220 South Koreans in Iran, some 80 citizens have applied to take the flight, the official said, as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country reportedly exceeded 6,500, with nearly 200 deaths as of Sunday. "We are ma

March 9, 2020

Seoul, Tokyo tighten border, as virus ignites old spat

South Korea and Japan tightened border controls Monday over fears of the novel coronavirus, reigniting a long-standing spat.  Both countries suspended their 90-day visa waiver programs for each other, while deciding to invalidate visas already issued. Meanwhile, Japan mandates all visitors from Korea to go into quarantine for two weeks upon arrival. Seoul is also enforcing special entry procedures, including temperature checks and health examinations.  　 Flights between both countri

March 9, 2020

S. Korea to provide $3m to WHO for fight against coronavirus

South Korea will provide US$3 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) to help global efforts to fight the new coronavirus, the foreign ministry said Monday, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha made the pledge during phone talks with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus late Sunday, the ministry said in a text message to reporters, as COVID-19 cases have topped 109,000, with more than 3,700 deaths worldwide. During the phone talks, Kang also explained to the WHO chief Seoul's

March 9, 2020

S. Korea, Japan enforce mutual entry restrictions, casting clouds over bilateral ties

South Korea and Japan began enforcing entry restrictions against each other's citizens ostensibly over new coronavirus concerns Monday, casting a pall over their relations already frayed by a protracted row over trade and wartime history. Tokyo suspended its visa waiver program for South Koreans and started asking them to stay at designated facilities for two weeks and refraining from using public transportation. Moreover, it allows flights from Korea to land only in Narita Airport near Tokyo

March 9, 2020

106 countries, territories restricting entry from virus-hit S. Korea

Two more countries have joined the list of countries and territories imposing entry restrictions or tougher quarantine procedures on people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns, putting the tally at 106, foreign ministry data showed Monday. As of 2 p.m., Grenada and Barbados, island nations in the Caribbean, were added to the list of 47 countries and territories requiring or recommending self-quarantine and imposing stricter immigration controls for people who have been in Korea at lea

March 9, 2020

103 countries, territories restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

A total of 103 countries and territories were enforcing or planning to impose entry restrictions or tougher quarantine procedures on people from South Korea over coronavirus concerns, foreign ministry data showed Sunday. The tally, as of 2 p.m., remains unchanged from late Saturday's figure, but the number of countries and territories barring the entry of travelers from all of Korea rose by one to 37, according to the foreign ministry website. Saudi Arabia was moved to this list as it now bar

March 8, 2020

S. Korea mulling sending chartered flight to bring nationals home

South Korea is reviewing a plan to send a chartered flight to Iran to bring its citizens home from the coronavirus-hit Islamic country this week, government officials said Sunday. The number of Iran's COVID-19 cases has reportedly risen to 5,823 with 145 deaths as of Saturday, raising concerns about the safety of Koreans in the country suffering a shortage of medicine and medical equipment. It marks the third most coronavirus infections in the world, following China and South Korea. "Th

March 8, 2020

PM urges cooperation for 'smooth' mask distribution amid virus angst

South Korea's prime minister on Sunday called for citizens' cooperation to resolve the supply shortage of face masks and ensure smooth distribution amid growing public anger over the bungled supply scheme. Under the measure that will take effect Monday, citizens will be able to buy only two protective masks per week from pharmacies, on designated days of the week, depending on the final number of their year of birth. "To make the system smoothly operate, there is a desperate need for pe

March 8, 2020

Seoul raises Japan travel warning on coronavirus fears

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry raised the travel alert for all regions of Japan on Saturday, amid growing concerns about the number of COVID-19 cases there.  Effective Monday Seoul advised “restraint,” representing the third level in the country’s four-notch warning system. A week ago it advised “caution,” a warning one notch lower.  The ministry cited growing concerns about the continued spread of the coronavirus in Japan and how it could affect

March 7, 2020

WHO addresses Seoul-Tokyo spat over coronavirus, calls on countries to stand together

The World Health Organization on Friday (Geneva time) urged countries to “stand together” on COVID-19, in response to the renewed diplomatic row between Seoul and Tokyo over travel restrictions in response to the outbreak.  “COVID-19 is a common enemy,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters during a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Geneva. “And the only way we can beat this virus is when we stand together. …

March 7, 2020