S. Korea raises travel advisory for northern Italy

South Korea raised the travel advisory for three provinces in northern Italy on Friday after the European country reported a rapid increase in new coronavirus infections. The foreign ministry issued a "yellow warning", which calls for travel restraint and is the third highest out of a four-level scale, for Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto in the country's north, according to the ministry website. The ministry cited growing concern over person-to-person transmission as the numbe

Feb. 28, 2020

Vietnam to suspend visa-wavier program for Koreans on Saturday

Vietnam will suspend a visa-waiver program for South Korean visitors this week, the South Korean Embassy in the country said Friday, as the number of confirmed new coronavirus cases has topped 2,000 here. The embassy said the Vietnamese government has informed it of a plan to temporarily suspend the program on Saturday, under which Koreans have been able to stay in the Southeast Asian country for up to 15 days without a visa. Aside from the latest measure, Vietnam has banned the entry of vis

Feb. 28, 2020

Korean Embassy in Iran calls for preparations for possible contingency amid spreading coronavirus

The South Korean Embassy in Iran has called for hundreds of its citizens there to prepare for possible contingencies, warning that the coronavirus outbreaks in the Islamic republic could escalate into a "serious situation." In an emergency notice posted on its website Thursday, the embassy urged about 200 South Korean citizens in Iran to ensure they always carry their passports, cash, mobile phones and other "essential" items. The number of Iran's COVID-19 cases has report

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. Twenty-seven parts of the world have entry bans on South Koreans and foreigners who have visited the Asian country in the past few weeks, up from the previous day's tally of 22. They include Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Jamaica and two others.

Feb. 28, 2020

Chinese embassy provides 25,000 masks to virus-hit Daegu

The Chinese Embassy in South Korea on Thursday provided 25,000 masks to the southeastern city of Daegu amid a spike in the number of the new coronavirus cases in the city. The embassy said the provision was an expression of gratitude to South Koreans over the friendship and support they showed to China, which is trying to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak. "The embassy will continue to secure various supplies for quarantine efforts and actively support and stand by South Korea for it t

Feb. 27, 2020

Trump says ‘not the right time’ to bar entry from S. Korea

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (US time) said it was “not the right time” for the US to restrict travelers from South Korea, though it may do so in the future. 　 “At a right time, we may do that. Right now, it’s not the right time,” he told a press conference on the novel coronavirus in Washington, adding the US was checking people arriving from infected areas. 　 “They are working on their countries, and we are working on our country, since, so far

Feb. 27, 2020

China, 11 more countries restrict travel from S. Korea over coronavirus concern

About a dozen additional countries and parts of China have slapped entry restrictions on travelers from South Korea, and the United States has raised its travel warning for its Asian ally as the wave of new coronavirus cases in the country showed no signs of let-up. The State Department's travel advisory was raised by one notch to Level 3, the second-highest on a four-tier scale. Level 4 advises people not to travel to the designated country. The US has not put any entry restrictions from trav

Feb. 27, 2020

US State Department urges Americans to reconsider travel to S. Korea

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- The US State Department raised its travel advisory for South Korea to the second-highest level Wednesday, urging Americans to reconsider travel over concerns about the coronavirus. The travel advisory was raised by one notch to Level 3 on a four-tier scale, according to its website. Level 4 advises Americans not to travel to the designated country. The measure came shortly after US President Donald Trump said earlier Wednesday that it is not the right time to restrict trav

Feb. 27, 2020

US military restricts travel to S. Korea over coronavirus

WASHINGTON -- The US Indo-Pacific military command said Wednesday it is restricting nonessential travel to South Korea over concerns about the coronavirus. The notice came after a soldier with US Forces Korea tested positive for COVID-19 amid a rapid rise in the number of cases in the country. "Effective immediately, Commander, US Indo-Pacific Command, in line with the CDC Travel Health Notice, restricts all nonessential (Department of Defense) travel to (Republic of Korea) to reduce ris

Feb. 27, 2020

S. Korea, US in close communication over coronavirus: ambassador

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States have been in close communication over the coronavirus, including the US response to a surge in cases in the South, Seoul's ambassador to Washington said Wednesday. Amb. Lee Soo-hyuck said South Korean Embassy officials have been meeting with State Department and White House officials to communicate the South Korean government's response to the COVID-19 outbreak and discuss the US government's next steps. The US Centers for Disease Control and Pr

Feb. 27, 2020

Trump says it's not right time to put travel restrictions on S. Korea

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that it's not the right time to put travel restrictions on South Korea over the coronavirus. Trump was asked at a White House press briefing whether he is considering restricting travel to and from South Korea, Italy and other countries affected by COVID-19. "At a right time we may do it," the president said. "Right now it's not the right time, but at a right time." South Korea has seen a rapid increase in the number

Feb. 27, 2020

Countries shut doors on S. Korea over coronavirus fears

Gripped by COVID-19 fears, more than two dozen countries have barred entry to or tightened restrictions on travelers from South Korea, with neighboring Japan becoming the latest to do so.  　 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said from Thursday it will deny entry to foreign nationals who have visited the Korean city of Daegu and the neighboring county of Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province, the areas hit hardest by the coronavirus here. 　 Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Tokyo had inf

Feb. 26, 2020

Trump says he 'spoke to' S. Korea about coronavirus

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he spoke with South Korea and Italy about the spread of the coronavirus in those countries. Trump made the remark during a press conference in New Delhi, India, as he talked about US cooperation with China over the virus, which has infected more than 80,000 people around the world, mostly in China. "I spoke to (Chinese) President Xi (Jinping) the other day. He is so committed to solving that problem. He is working very hard. He i

Feb. 26, 2020

Senators say US should stop excessive demands for defense deal with S. Korea

WASHINGTON -- The United States should stop demanding that South Korea pay significantly more for the American troop presence in the country, two US senators said Tuesday. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Edward Markey (D-MA) issued the call during a hearing looking back on the year since the February 2019 summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam. Both men lamented the lack of progress in North Korea's denuclearization and raised the importan

Feb. 26, 2020

Seoul asks foreign missions to refrain from rigorous entry restrictions

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry is urging partner countries to refrain from imposing rigorous entry restrictions against Korean nationals, amid concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak here. 　 The ministry explained Korea’s efforts to contain the novel coronavirus and request the countries refrain from taking excessive measures in a briefing session on Tuesday afternoon.  　  Kim Gunn, deputy foreign minister for political affairs, head the session held at the ministry in Seou

Feb. 25, 2020

[Newsmaker] US CDC recommends avoiding nonessential travel to S. Korea over coronavirus

WASHINGTON -- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday issued the highest type of travel health notice for South Korea, recommending that Americans avoid all nonessential travel to the country due to the spread of the coronavirus there. The Level 3 notice constitutes a "warning" to avoid all nonessential travel over the high risk posed to travelers by the outbreak and the absence of precautions to protect against the risk. The new action came only two days after t

Feb. 25, 2020

Some 400 S. Korean tourists leave Israel on chartered flights

CAIRO -- Some 400 South Korean tourists boarded two chartered flights in Israel on Monday after the Israeli government imposed an entry ban on South Koreans over concerns about the new coronavirus. The first plane carrying some 220 South Koreans departed Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport at around 4 p.m. The second plane left the airport at around 10 p.m., with 196 South Koreans aboard, according to the South Korean Embassy in Israel. The flights were arranged at the Israeli government's expense

Feb. 25, 2020

FM calls Israel's entry ban on Koreans over new coronavirus 'excessive'

GENEVA/SEOUL -- Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has described Israel's recent entry ban on South Koreans over concerns of the new coronavirus as "excessive," noting Seoul's ongoing diplomacy to prevent such unwarranted restrictions.  Kang made the remarks as more than a dozen countries have imposed entry restrictions against visitors from South Korea that has so far reported 833 infections and eight fatalities despite its stepped-up containment efforts. "My assessment is

Feb. 25, 2020

USFK reports 1st coronavirus patient, among family of soldier

A U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) family member living in the southeastern city of Daegu has been confirmed to have the new coronavirus, USFK said Monday, marking the first case among a person related to the American military stationed here. South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) informed USFK that the 61-year-old female had tested positive for COVID-19, USFK said in a release. The patient is a U.S. national, an official said, adding that it was not immediately known how sh

Feb. 24, 2020

S. Korean defense minister due in DC for talks on alliance

South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo headed to the US capital Sunday for talks with the Pentagon chief on pending alliance issues.  Among the agenda items in talks between Jeong and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, slated for Monday (local time), are a scheduled spring joint military exercise and preparations for the wartime operational control transition, according to defense officials here.  The allies reportedly agreed to stage the combined drills in early March. B

Feb. 23, 2020