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South Korean President Moon Jae-in consults with health professionals regarding the coronavirus outbreak at the Blue House on Feb. 2.

On Feb. 4, the South Korean government will ban the entrance of foreigners who have visited or stayed in China’s Hubei Province during the past 14 days. The government is also planning to temporarily halt visa-free entry for visitors to Jeju Island and also look into suspending the issuance of short-term tourist visas to Chinese. Questions are being raised about the efficacy of banning visitors and residents only from Hubei Province, the main measure announced by the government on Sunday, since that province is already basically on lockdown.

These and other measures were announced during a meeting of the government task force charged with coordinating the national response to the novel coronavirus, held on Feb. 2 with South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun presiding. The measures prohibit entry to all foreigners who have visited or resided in Hubei Province over the past 14 days; South Korean citizens will still be allowed to enter the country, but are required to quarantine themselves at home for 14 days. This is similar to the entrance restrictions previously taken by Japan.

New special protocols are also being developed for admittance to the country. A dedicated arrivals hall will be built for everyone en route from China, for both South Korean citizens and foreigners, where the authorities are planning to confirm their place of residence and contact information while in the country.

This is the first time the South Korean government has banned Chinese citizens from entering the country, though admittedly the ban is limited to those residing in Hubei Province. But considering that the coronavirus has already spread throughout China, there are doubts about the effectiveness of measures that are limited to residents of one specific region.

“Going forward, we will quickly review additional measures according to the spread of the novel coronavirus,” a senior official at the Blue House said, apparently responding to such concerns. This remark suggests that, depending on developments, the entrance ban could be expanded to all of China.

The visa-free system for Jeju — by which foreigners have been able to enter South Korea via China without a visa — will also be temporarily suspended. Last year, 98% of the foreigners who took advantage of this system were Chinese. Restrictions are also being placed on Koreans going on trips to China. The government is looking into raising its warning level for traveling anywhere in China from the current “avoid traveling” to “evacuation recommended.”

The disease control task force announced that it will also be tightening measures to prevent local transmission of the disease. In the future, the government will be ordering anyone who has come into contact with a confirmed patient — regardless of whether they had close or merely routine contact — will be placed under home quarantine for 14 days. Those who fail to cooperate with this will face penalties including as much as 3 million won (US$2,511) in fines. Previously, people who entered the country from Chinese provinces other than Hubei had to be diagnosed with pneumonia before they could be tested for the coronavirus, but from now on, even those who only exhibit symptoms such as fever and coughing are eligible for testing.

In addition, workers at daycares, postpartum care centers, and other care facilities who have traveled to China will be required to take a 14-day leave of absence from their jobs. The government is also considering delaying the beginning of the university semester in light of the large numbers of Chinese studying in the country; online classes will also be prepared for Chinese students unable to return to Korea.

While the task force is maintaining the national alert level at “orange,” the third-highest level in a four-tier system, it intends to dedicate all available resources to combating the disease as if the level were actually at “red.” “Red alert” will take effect if the novel coronavirus begins to be transmitted locally or spreads around the country.

By Park Da-hae and Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporters

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