Country to Resume Visa Issuance for CN Travellers

Country to Resume Visa Issuance for CN Travellers After...

Pic: AP

South Korea said it will remove the entry restrictions it placed on short-term travellers from China since the start of the year as officials see the Covid-19 situation in that country as stabilising.

South Korea in early January stopped issuing most short-term visas at its consulates in China, citing concerns about a virus surge in the country and the potential for new mutations. South Korea also required all passengers from China to submit proofs of negative tests taken with 48 hours before their arrival and put them through tests again once they arrive.

Following an antivirus meeting on Friday, the government decided to normalise short-term visa applications at its consulates in China from Saturday. The testing requirements were maintained but officials said those steps could be relaxed later depending on virus developments.

While allowing the extension of existing visas, South Korea had stopped issuing most short-term visas as its consulates in China, except for essential government, diplomatic and business activities and humanitarian reasons.

Seoul’s virus measures prompted Beijing to retaliate by suspending South Korean short-term visa applications, raising business concerns in a country that heavily depends on exports to China.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said 1.4 per cent of the Chinese short-term travellers tested positive after their arrivals, compared to nearly 22 per cent in the first week of January. As of Friday, eight of them remained in quarantine at designated hotels, compared to around 140 quarantines in early January.

According to data from South Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency, about 10,600 short-term travellers from China underwent airport tests after arrival since January 2 and about 7 per cent of them tested positive.

Source: SCMP

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