First Day of China's Entry Restrictions... "No Entry Ban Yet" (Update)

Entry Ban on Hubei Province, China Effective from 0:00 on the 4th
No Foreigners Banned from Entry on 5 Flights After 0:00 Today

On the 4th, travelers at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1, where a dedicated immigration area for passengers arriving from China has been established, are entering while wearing masks. / Yeongjongdo - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The government began enforcing an entry ban on foreigners who have visited Hubei Province, China, starting from 0:00 on the 4th. By 6 a.m. on the same day, five flights from China had arrived at Incheon Airport. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reported that there have been no cases of banned entries so far.

According to the Countermeasures Headquarters, all foreigners arriving from China go through a separate entry process via a dedicated entry gate exclusively for Chinese arrivals. First, quarantine officials check for fever or health issues, and if abnormalities are found, isolation or diagnostic testing is conducted. Then, through a newly established special entry procedure, contact information that can be reached domestically is verified on-site. During the subsequent immigration inspection, possession of a Hubei Province passport or any stay in Hubei within the past two weeks is checked to restrict foreign entry accordingly.

This procedure has been applied immediately from 0:00 on the day. By 6 a.m., five flights from China had arrived at Incheon Airport. There were no foreigners holding Hubei Province passports or attempting to enter after visiting Hubei, according to Deputy Head Kim Kang-rip of the Countermeasures Headquarters during a briefing. Deputy Head Kim said, "During the special entry procedure, there were foreigners who were not Chinese but whose contact information could not be received; however, they purchased a SIM card on-site to confirm their contact details and were allowed entry."

The number of arrivals from China had reached about 30,000 per day until early last month but has decreased to the low 10,000s this month. As of the previous day, the total arrivals were only 11,381, including 3,090 Koreans and 8,291 foreigners. A flight arriving via Jeju Air on the day had only four passengers onboard. Since the only international airport in Hubei Province is in Wuhan, which was locked down last month, direct flights have not been operating for several days.

On the 4th, a dedicated arrival hall for passengers from China was set up at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, where a monitor displayed information about the novel coronavirus infection. / Yeongjongdo - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

Pyeongtaek and Gunsan Ports Operating but No Ferry Passengers
Other International Airports Besides Incheon Use Separate Gates for Movement Separation

Regarding entry through domestic ports, some passenger ferries from China are still operating, but there were no passengers. Park Min-su, Director of External Cooperation Support at the Ministry of Health and Welfare and head of the Countermeasures Headquarters, said, "Ports have facilities prepared for special entry procedures just like airports," adding, "Pyeongtaek Port and Gunsan Port are operating but only crew members are present, and there are no passengers attempting to enter." He also noted that cargo ships undergo the same procedures before being allowed to disembark.

In response to concerns that it is physically difficult to establish separate entry routes at other international airports such as Gimpo Airport, Director Park said, "There may be places where separate gates cannot be installed, but we ensure that arrivals go through entry procedures without mixing with other passengers," and added, "Regarding infection concerns from using restrooms, not everyone coming from China is infected, so we respond by disinfecting after use."

Meanwhile, Xing Haiming (邢海明), the newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Korea, conveyed the Chinese government's position urging the Korean government to refrain from expanding entry bans, stating that China is taking strong measures related to this situation.

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