Kang Kyung-hwa: "Complete Blockade of China Is Not a Necessary Measure for Infectious Diseases"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Won Dara] Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha expressed that completely blocking entrants from China is not necessarily a required measure for infectious disease control.

On the 2nd, during a National Assembly government inspection session, in response to a question from Joo Ho-young of the United Future Party, Minister Kang said, "Our citizens also need to travel to China for essential reasons," and added, "I do not think that completely blocking entry is necessarily a required measure for infectious disease control."

Regarding the statement that "quarantine is more important than diplomacy," she said, "there are various other factors to consider," and added, "I think there were many shortcomings when evaluated later, but from the government's standpoint, it is making various decisions prioritizing the safety of the people."

She continued, "When the government formulates policies regarding infectious disease crises related to immigration and emigration, it always prioritizes the safety of the people," and emphasized, "Considering our country's quarantine capabilities, recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), and other factors comprehensively, we made such a judgment taking into account the strengths of specific measures."

Regarding China's entry restrictions on our citizens, she said, "such cases have been found at the local government level rather than the central government," and added, "Our citizens are being quarantined in various parts of China, and we are strongly protesting."

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