Korea mulls dropping pre-arrival COVID-19 tests for travelers next month

Posted on : 2022-08-29 16:29 KST Modified on : 2022-08-29 16:29 KST
The government’s decision to consider easing pre-arrival testing requirements appears to have been influenced by demands from related industries and a shift toward looser disease control restrictions in other countries
People are seen coming and going from the COVID-19 screening center in Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport on Aug. 24. (Yonhap News)
People are seen coming and going from the COVID-19 screening center in Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport on Aug. 24. (Yonhap News)

The South Korean government is reportedly leaning toward incrementally doing away with the pre-arrival COVID-19 tests required from international travelers arriving in South Korea, with a start date coming sometime after the Chuseok national holiday next month.

It is considered very likely to begin by scrapping the requirement for countries considered as posing a low COVID-19 risk, with an ultimate goal of dropping all pre-arrival testing.

“While our ultimate goal is to abolish all pre-arrival testing, we’re considering loosening the requirements incrementally, starting with countries that pose a low risk, given that many South Koreans are still cautious about the COVID-19 virus, as we see with the number of people who continue to wear masks outdoors,” they added.

The official went on to say that the incremental measures would be “announced after the extended Chuseok holiday, when we could be seeing large numbers of travelers.”

The issue that is most crucially being considered as a standard for dropping is the risk associated with the COVID-19 virus. The approach that is under consideration is one where testing requirements would be removed first for countries not considered “infectious risks,” namely those where the virus is prevalent or those subject to current entry bans.

Also being considered for exemption are countries that are relatively close to South Korea and involve short travel times. But authorities reportedly remain cautious, due to concerns that the virus could be spread during in-flight meals, regardless of the flight duration.

An approach providing exemptions from pre-arrival testing for those who have received three or more COVID-19 vaccine doses has reportedly been ruled out, as it would be considered equivalent to reinstituting a “vaccine passport” system.

Under the South Korean government’s current disease control plan for arriving overseas passengers, all incoming South Korean and foreign nationals are required to present a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken within the 48 hours prior to entry, or a professional rapid antigen test (RAT) taken in the preceding 24 hours. Passengers who fail to show a negative test result are restricted from boarding aircraft bound for South Korea, regardless of vaccination status.

Arriving passengers are also required to undergo an additional PCR test at a public health center no later than the day after their arrival. The South Korean government reduced the time between arrival and PCR testing from three days to one day as of July 25.

The government’s decision to consider easing pre-departure testing requirements for arriving travelers appears to have been influenced by demands from related industries and a shift toward looser disease control restrictions in other countries.

Travel- and tourism-related industries have argued that the costs of pre-arrival testing and the requirement that passengers isolate overseas if they test positive have been discouraging people from traveling.

“We have around 20,000 international passengers arriving daily, and if you estimate testing costs of 100,000 won per person, that comes out to 2 billion won,” explained a disease control official in a telephone interview with the Hankyoreh on Sunday.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) observed that of the 38 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, only South Korea and Japan require international passengers to undergo PCR testing prior to arrival. As of Sept. 7, Japan will no longer be requiring negative PCR test results from arriving international passengers who have received at least three COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Experts suggested the best approach would be to relax pre-arrival COVID-19 testing requirements for all passengers, noting that the South Korean government has focused on a disease control approach based on post-arrival testing and minimizing the number of deaths and patients with severe symptoms.

The KDCA said it would decide on whether to relax the testing requirements after discussions over the next week.

“We are comprehensively considering the impact that eliminating pre-arrival testing would have on our disease control efforts in South Korea,” the KDCA told the Ministry of Health and Welfare press corps on Sunday.

“We will be holding discussions next week with experts and the relevant agencies, and we will announce the decision after reporting on the findings of our examination to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters,” it added.

By Kwon Ji-dam, staff reporter

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

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