Japanese Government Restricts Entry of Koreans, Notifies Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Advance

The Korean Government Should Not Take Unreasonable Measures... Calls for Careful Response

Amid concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on the 23rd, the 55th Certified Public Accountant exam was held at the testing site set up at Hongik University in Mapo-gu, Seoul, where officials are checking examinees for fever using thermal cameras. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Japanese government plans to ban the entry of foreigners who have stayed in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, and it has been confirmed that this information was conveyed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ahead of the implementation of the measure.

On the 26th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had been notified in advance through diplomatic channels by the Japanese side about the planned announcement of entry restrictions. In response, the government emphasized that there should be no excessive or unreasonable measures against Korean citizens and travelers and requested a cautious response. It is known that the Japanese government is finalizing arrangements to implement the measure from 0:00 on the 27th.

On the same day, local media such as the Sankei Shimbun reported that the Japanese government had decided to refuse entry to foreigners who have stayed in Daegu and some parts of Gyeongbuk in South Korea.

According to reports, the Japanese government will decide this at a meeting of the Novel Coronavirus Infectious Disease (COVID-19) Response Headquarters, headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The entry restriction targets foreigners who have visited Daegu and other areas within two weeks prior to their application for entry into Japan.

This is the first time the Japanese government has designated a target country other than China. Previously, the Japanese government refused entry to foreigners who had stayed in Hubei and Zhejiang provinces in China following the spread of COVID-19.

Earlier, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on its website that "In South Korea, since February 19, cases of COVID-19 infection have surged in Daegu Metropolitan City and Cheongdo County in Gyeongsangbuk-do, with 607 cases confirmed as of the 24th, and designated the infection risk information for these areas as 'Level 2.' Level 2 is a stage recommending the suspension of unnecessary visits."

Sankei explained that this policy appears to have been decided considering that the number of COVID-19 infections in South Korea has surpassed that in Japan and infections are rapidly increasing in Daegu and other areas.

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