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A Korean Air passenger jet

The gateways to major countries and cities visited by South Koreans are gradually being closed amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Korean Air has announced that it is suspending service between Incheon and major US cities such as Washington, DC, from Apr. 13 to May 31 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The US routes that are being suspended by the airline include those traveling to and from Washington, Boston, Dallas, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Honolulu. Service to and from the Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver is also being suspended. But service will be maintained for the cities of Los Angeles (seven flights per week), New York (seven), San Francisco (three), Chicago (three), and Atlanta (four).

Korean Air originally had one flight operating per day seven days a week on the Incheon-Washington route, but reduced the number to three times a week (Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays) as of the third week of March as the virus’s spread led to reduced demand. Its plans for route operation after the end of May remain undecided.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government made the decision on Apr. 1 to refuse entry to travelers from a total of 49 countries, including South Korea, China, the US, and nearly all European countries.

In a meeting of the Japanese government’s coronavirus response headquarters that day, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that all locations in South Korea, China, the US, and 46 other countries and regions were being added to the list of countries from which entry would be refused according to immigration law, bringing the total up to 73. As a rule, all travelers who have visited one of the corresponding regions in the preceding two weeks will not be allowed to enter Japan. The Japanese government also announced that it would request a two-week “waiting period” from those entering Japan from other places in the world, including Japanese nationals. The measures are to go into effect on Apr. 3, 12:00 am, and continue until the end of the month.

By Hwang Joon-beom, Washington correspondent, and Cho Ki-weon, Tokyo correspondent

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