More countries restrict or ban travel to and from S. Korea as coronavirus spreads

Posted on : 2020-02-24 15:13 KST Modified on : 2020-02-24 15:53 KST
Korean Air flight turned back after arriving in Israel
South Koreans arrive at Incheon International Airport on Feb. 23 after being denied entry to Israel the previous day. (Park Jong-shik, staff photographer)
South Koreans arrive at Incheon International Airport on Feb. 23 after being denied entry to Israel the previous day. (Park Jong-shik, staff photographer)

Amid a huge surge in the cases of the novel coronavirus in South Korea, Israel announced that, as of Feb. 24, it is banning South Koreans and foreigners who had stayed in South Korea over the past 14 days. An increasing number of countries are banning entry via South Korea or advising their citizens to avoid traveling there. While the South Korean government means to prevent an overreaction by providing a precise explanation of its disease control efforts, there are concerns that more countries will adopt “Korea-phobic” measures if the number of domestic cases continues to spike.

On Feb. 23, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the foreign press reported that, as of Feb. 24, Israel will ban entry from foreigners who have been to South Korea or Japan in the past 14 days, a restriction that had previously only applied to China. “South Koreans and foreigners who have visited South Korea within 14 days will not be allowed to enter Israel,” a MOFA official said. So far, there are 13 countries that have tightened their entry procedures or banned entry to people inbound from South Korea in connection with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

At 7:30 pm on Feb. 22, the Israeli government blocked entry for foreigners en route from South Korea. This impacted Korean Air flight KE957, which had departed for Israel before the entry ban was in place; the Israeli government didn’t announce the ban until three hours before its arrival. Some 130 South Korean passengers aboard the aircraft had to return to South Korea via the same plane, which touched down at Incheon International Airport at 2 pm on Sunday.

“We strongly protest the inconvenience caused to the South Korean travelers who had already departed when Israel imposed this measure with no advance warning, and we have asked [Israel] to prevent this from recurring,” said a South Korean government official.

The Israeli government’s measure appears to have been motivated by the COVID-19 diagnosis of South Koreans who’d recently toured holy sites in Israel. On Sunday, the Israeli public health authorities instructed 180 students at elementary, middle, and high schools and 19 employees to quarantine themselves at home for two weeks after coming into close contact with South Koreans who’d visited holy sites in Jerusalem on Feb. 8-16.

MOFA said that reports suggesting that some 1,600 South Korean tourists in Israel could be quarantined in hotels were “groundless.” “If necessary, we will take relevant measures such as bringing tourists home early,” a MOFA official said.

US raises travel advisory to “Level 2”

Israel is one of a growing number of countries that are advising against visiting South Korea or banning the entry of South Koreans. On Feb. 22, the US Department of State raised the travel advisory for South Korea to Level 2 while noting reports of a sustained spread of the disease at the community level. At Level 2, Americans are advised to “exercise increased caution” when visiting South Korea. The step has no impact on South Koreans entering the US.

On Sunday, Singapore’s public health authorities urged its citizens not to visit the South Korean cities of Daegu or Cheongdo if at all possible. Taiwan’s public health authorities also raised their travel advisory for South Korea and Japan to Level 2, or “alert,” and recommended that citizens refrain to avoid travel.

The Central Asian country of Turkmenistan is delaying the entry of South Koreans for at least two weeks, whether or not they have symptoms of COVID-19, and is quarantining South Koreans in the country in hospitals even if they don’t exhibit any symptoms.

On Feb. 22, Thai budget airline AirAsia X reportedly canceled flights to South Korea on Mar. 6-27. Thailand’s flag carrier airline Thai Airways is planning to cancel most of its flights between Bangkok and Seoul in March as the number of travelers plummets, the Bangkok Post reported.

By Kim So-youn, Cho Kye-wan, and Kim Yoon-ju, staff reporters

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

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