Seoul says it may take 'reciprocal' steps against Japan's entry restrictions over coronavirus

South Korea's presidential office on Friday expressed "strong regret" over Japan's entry restrictions on people arriving from South Korea amid the spread of the new coronavirus, saying it may take measures under the principle of reciprocity. Seoul's warning of possible corresponding steps came one day after Tokyo said people arriving from South Korea and China will be quarantined at designated facilities for up to two weeks, citing concerns over the outbreak of the coronavirus in the

March 6, 2020

New York asks residents to self-isolate after returning from S. Korea

WASHINGTON -- New York City is asking residents returning from South Korea and four other countries to self-isolate for 14 days as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus, the office of the city's mayor said Thursday. The office of Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the measure as the number of infections in the state of New York doubled overnight to 22. "The Department of Health is asking New Yorkers who return from the following countries to self-isolate for 14 days

March 6, 2020

S. Korea urges Japan to lift trade restrictions

South Korea on Friday urged Japan to immediately lift the trade curbs it imposed on Asia's No. 4 economy, stressing that Seoul has taken necessary measures to bolster its export control system in line with Tokyo's demands. In July last year, Japan imposed restrictions on exports to Seoul of three key industrial materials critical for South Korea's chip and display industries, namely photoresist, etching gas and fluorinated polyimide. Tokyo cited Seoul's alleged lax export control system for s

March 6, 2020

S. Korea voices 'extreme regret' over Japan's entry restrictions for Koreans

The foreign ministry on Friday expressed "extreme regret" over Japan's two-week quarantine plan for visitors from South Korea over new coronavirus concerns, warning of "all possible" corresponding measures. Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young plans to summon Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koji Tomita to officially lodge a protest over the measure that is set to take effect Monday and last until the end of this month. Tokyo announced Thursday that visitors from South Ko

March 6, 2020

Moon holds phone talks with leaders of UAE, Egypt on anti-virus efforts

President Moon Jae-in spoke by phone with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt on Thursday and discussed joint efforts to cope with the new coronavirus, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon held talks first with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and then with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok said in a release. The phone talks each lasted about 20 minutes. Moon asked for understa

March 5, 2020

Japan to quarantine arrivals from South Korea, China over coronavirus

Japan decided Thursday to tighten entry restrictions on arrivals from South Korea and China starting next week amid concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced after a government meeting that those flying in from the two virus-hit neighboring countries will be quarantined at a designated place for two weeks. The new measure will be effective from next Monday through the end of this month. Tokyo's has already imposed an entry ban on people

March 5, 2020

Seoul sends team to support Koreans quarantined in Vietnam

A South Korean team on Thursday left for Vietnam to support more than 310 South Korean nationals quarantined there over fears of novel coronavirus. 　 　 “The most important thing is to help our citizens who want to return to Korea, through consultations with the Vietnamese authorities,” Kyun Jong-ho, who heads the 12-strong “rapid response” team, told reporters at Incheon International Airport before taking off in the morning. 　 Consisting of officials mostly from the F

March 5, 2020

Australia to impose entry ban on people from Korea on Thursday

Australia plans to impose a temporary entry ban on foreigners from South Korea on Thursday, the country's embassy in Seoul said, as the number of COVID-19 infections here reached 5,766. Seoul's foreign ministry voiced "strong regrets" over the measures that it claimed came without sufficient prior consultations, officials said, stressing its all-out efforts to contain the novel coronavirus. Shortly before Australia's official announcement on the measures, Australian Ambassador to So

March 5, 2020

96 countries, territories restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus concerns

A total of 96 countries and territories are imposing entry restrictions or tougher quarantine procedures on people from South Korea on Thursday, amid fears about the new coronavirus outbreaks, Seoul's foreign ministry said. As of 9 a.m., 36 countries and territories, including Singapore and Hong Kong, had imposed entry bans on people who have traveled to South Korea in the past two weeks, according to the ministry. Four countries and territories, including Japan, have imposed entry bans on pe

March 5, 2020

Seoul official calls Japan’s reaction to coronavirus ‘political’

The chief of South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service described the Japanese government’s handling of the novel coronavirus crisis as “political,” with the upcoming Tokyo Olympics at stake. 　 Kim Yong-ik, president of the NHIS, said the number of infections in the neighboring country could be much higher than reported and that Japan is “not testing enough.” 　 “If a country does not test and diagnose, COVID-19 will be passed over as a cold, and

March 4, 2020

92 countries, territories restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus concerns

A total of 92 countries and territories were imposing entry restrictions or stricter quarantine procedures on people from coronavirus-hit South Korea on Wednesday, with Qatar being the latest to slap an entry ban. As of 9 a.m., 38 countries and territories barred the entry of travelers who have visited Korea in at least the past two weeks, according to the foreign ministry website. Qatar began to enforce an entry ban starting Monday on foreigners with a record of visits to South Korea, China,

March 4, 2020

89 countries, regions restricting entry of people from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

A total of 89 countries and regions are planning or imposing entry bans or quarantine procedures on visitors from South Korea on Tuesday, despite Seoul's push to curb what it calls excessively restrictive measures. As of 3 p.m., 37 countries and regions plan to ban or were barring the entry of travelers who have visited Korea in the past two weeks, while 52 countries and regions, including China, prepared or were carrying out quarantine programs or recommendations for them, according to the

March 3, 2020

S. Korea to pursue Xi and Putin’s visit despite coronavirus fears

Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it will continue to work for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit here in the first half of the year, while admitting the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak could affect his trip. 　 The ministry has submitted a policy briefing to President Moon Jae-in in writing, not through a face-to-face session, due to the virus outbreak here. It laid out policies for this year that include high-level exchanges with partner countries and strengthening inter-

March 3, 2020

82 countries, regions restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

A total of 82 countries and regions are imposing entry bans or quarantine procedures on visitors from South Korea over new coronavirus fears on Monday, despite Seoul's beefed-up diplomacy to prevent inordinate measures targeting its citizens.   As of 7 p.m., 36 countries and regions plan to ban or are barring the entry of travelers who have visited South Korea in the past two weeks, while 46 countries and regions, including China, are implementing quarantine procedures for them, according

March 2, 2020

Some 200 South Koreans forced into isolation in Vietnam

The Foreign Ministry said Sunday it is in talks with Vietnamese authorities concerning over 200 citizens placed in isolation upon arrival there without prior notice. 　 According to the South Korean Embassy in Vietnam, there are 127 nationals quarantined in northern parts of the country including Hanoi, 75 in Ho Chi Minh City and 21 in Danang, spread across military facilities, hospitals and some at the airport. 　 The Korean travelers were removed to separate facilities without prior notice, d

March 1, 2020

78 countries restricting entry from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

Two countries have been added to the list of nations and regions imposing entry restrictions or stricter quarantine procedures on travelers from South Korea over coronavirus fears, the foreign ministry in Seoul said Sunday. As of 5 a.m. Sunday, 78 countries have moved to bar the entry of people traveling from South Korea or to strengthen quarantine steps. The ministry said Angola is now one of 35 countries to keep out South Koreans or foreigners who've recently visited South Korea. Angola's

March 1, 2020

US State Department urges Americans not to travel to Daegu over coronavirus

WASHINGTON -- The US State Department on Saturday raised its travel advisory for Daegu to the highest level, urging Americans not to travel to the South Korean city most affected by the coronavirus. The advisory was raised to Level 4, which means "do not travel," due to the level of community transmission of the virus and imposition of local quarantine procedures, the department said on its website. The rest of South Korea remained under Level 3, which means "reconsider travel.&

March 1, 2020

FM voices strong regrets over Vietnam's planned suspension of visa-wavier program for Koreans

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha voiced strong regrets on Friday over Vietnam's decision to suspend a visa-waiver program for Korean nationals amid growing coronavirus fears, calling it an "excessive" entry restriction. Kang made the remark during a phone conversation with her Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Binh Minh, on Friday, hours after the Southeast Asian country announced the plan, according to her ministry. Kang conveyed South Koreans' deep disappointment with Vietn

Feb. 28, 2020

58 countries restrict entry from coronavirus-hit S. Korea

Nearly 60 countries are restricting the entry of travelers from South Korea with bans or tougher quarantine procedures over coronavirus concerns, foreign ministry data showed Friday, as the number of infections rose to more than 2,300 confirmed cases here. South Korea's government issued an advisory asking its people to reconsider or delay any planned travel to countries that have imposed restrictions due to worries that people could face inconveniences or safety issues. As of Friday, twenty-

Feb. 28, 2020

S. Korea to offer half of promised help to China through int'l agencies: official

South Korea will provide about half of the aid it promised to China in its fight against the new coronavirus through international assistance agencies in an apparent bid to avoid disrupting supplies of medical items for its own people, a foreign ministry official said Friday. Late last month, the Seoul government unveiled a plan to provide $5 million worth of aid to China, including face masks, medical gloves and disinfectants, to help the country at the center of COVID-19 outbreak, which has

Feb. 28, 2020