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South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (Yonhap News)

South Korea and China have agreed to adopt “fast track” entry systems exempting businesspeople who test negative for COVID-19 from mandatory 14-day quarantines, with discussions currently underway on the specifics. If the two sides do reach a final agreement to introduce the fast-track entry for business travelers, it will be the first example of institutional exceptions for international travelers amid the global pandemic.

Speaking at a regular briefing on Apr. 21, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said the two sides had “reached a principled agreement on establishing a fast track.”

“Officials on the two sides are in consultations to work out a detailed plan for implementation,” he added. The day before, a senior official with the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced that the two sides’ foreign ministers had reached an agreement at a video teleconference on Apr. 17 to create an institutional framework granting exemptions for business travelers.

In response to a rise in the number of imported coronavirus cases, China has been effectively prohibiting arrivals from overseas. Individuals may apply for visas in cases of special grounds such as those related to trade, but even those who are granted a visa must remain in quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in China. Geng also said China was in discussions toward establishing fast-track systems for business travel with other countries, including Singapore.

South Korea and China are now coordinating the specifics of their implementation plan, including the conditions for issuing verification of someone testing negative for the coronavirus, the regions in China where entries will be allowed, and guarantees on travel within China. The main terms of the fast-track system would allow economic activity without quarantine restrictions for individuals who test negative for COVID-19 prior to their departure for China and test negative again upon arrival. This much has been agreed upon by the two sides.

But the main differences concern when the pre-departure test has to be performed. China’s position is that travelers must be tested and receive a negative result within the 48 hours before departure, while the South Korean government views that timeframe as too short and is insisting on a period of around 72 hours. Also, the South Korean government is asking for the system to be allowed in all regions of China, while China is aiming to designate a few select regions.

Meeting with reporters, a senior MOFA official said, “While we do need detailed discussions, it is significant that we were able to agree on implementing fast-track entry for businesspeople.”

“In any case, there is a lot of business demand with China, and this will be very helpful for businesspeople once it’s been implemented,” the official added.

By Kim So-youn, staff reporter

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