"No confirmed cases of novel coronavirus among Chinese residents in Korea... Closely monitoring for prolonged outbreak"

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] As the number of confirmed cases and deaths from the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) is rapidly increasing in China, it has been confirmed that there are no casualties among Korean residents in China so far.

On the 3rd, a Beijing diplomatic official stated, "Currently, the embassy and consulates in China are working together with the Korean Association to deliver information on the current status of the novel coronavirus and prevention guidelines to Korean residents," adding, "There are no confirmed cases among the Korean residents yet."

He explained, "There are rumors spreading that confirmed cases have appeared in the Wangjing area, where many Korean residents live in Beijing, but it has been identified that the confirmed cases are not Korean," and added, "However, it is not possible to confirm whether the confirmed cases are actually from Wangjing."

Our government is reportedly considering all situations in preparation for the prolonged spread of the novel coronavirus.

Another diplomatic source said, "Since the 25th of last month, not only confirmed cases but also severe cases and deaths have been rapidly increasing, and the rate of increase is large," adding, "Considering the incubation period, February 10th is an important date, and if there are no clearly positive signs by then, we cautiously think that we must prepare for a prolonged situation."

The source explained, "We are communicating smoothly with the Chinese National Health Commission, and if companies operating in China face difficulties, we plan to actively support them," and added, "Since the situation is fluid and unpredictable, each ministry is reviewing countermeasures to prepare for all possible scenarios."

Although the top Chinese leaders are putting all their efforts into containing the spread of the novel coronavirus, it has been reported that there have been no significant disruptions to internal or external schedules so far.

A diplomatic official said, "There do not seem to be many cases of postponements or cancellations externally yet," adding, "Many regions are still on the Lunar New Year holiday, and with telecommuting in place, normal work is not continuing, so we have not received detailed information yet, but it is certain that the Chinese government is currently focusing all its efforts on preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus. They might be deliberating internally." Regarding President Xi's planned visit to Korea in the first half of this year, he added, "It is still difficult to predict diplomatic schedules."

Regarding the recent delay in obtaining Chinese approval for the Korean government's use of charter flights to evacuate Korean residents from Wuhan, he said, "The situation in Wuhan was very fluid at the time, and many countries including the U.S., Japan, Singapore, the U.K., France, Sri Lanka, and Mongolia were contacting the Chinese government to repatriate their nationals. From China's perspective, they likely coordinated the schedule considering various factors such as Wuhan airport and aircraft slot allocations."

He also said, "China showed a cooperative attitude during the Korean government's evacuation of Korean residents from Wuhan via charter flights," adding, "Currently, about 150 Korean residents remain in Wuhan, but there is no demand for repatriation yet. Our government is trying to identify needs while delivering relief supplies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.