Ministry of Foreign Affairs Calls Trump's Mention of Possible Easing of Travel Restrictions to Korea 'Encouraging'... "Caution Against Excessive Optimism"

Lotte Duty Free temporarily suspended operations at the international terminal duty-free store of Gimpo International Airport on the 12th. This decision was made due to the sharp decline in flights and passengers at Gimpo Airport caused by the global spread of COVID-19. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described as encouraging the remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump about the possibility of easing travel restrictions on South Korea, while stating that it will closely monitor the COVID-19 situation and respond accordingly.

On the 12th, a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters regarding President Trump's remarks made that morning Korea time, "It is encouraging that the statement included not only that South Korea is not simply excluded but also that existing restrictions could be lifted if the situation improves."

However, the official cautioned against excessive optimism. The senior official emphasized, "It is necessary to be cautious rather than overly optimistic and to closely watch international trends," adding, "The U.S. position is to consider all possible measures, so we need to see how the situation develops."

Earlier, on the 11th (local time), President Trump announced that he would reassess travel restrictions and alerts related to COVID-19 for South Korea and China. In a national address from the White House Oval Office that evening, President Trump cited "improvements in the situations in South Korea and China" as reasons for this.

Regarding Italy, where confirmed COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing, he said the U.S. is prepared to support Korean nationals depending on the situation. The senior official stated, "If the situation worsens, we are ready to provide assistance at any time," and noted that since transportation is not completely banned, unlike other countries, the deployment of charter flights is not currently being considered. It is known that approximately 40,000 Americans and 7,500 Japanese are staying in northern Italy, where many COVID-19 cases have been reported.

Meanwhile, the government plans to deploy a charter flight to bring Korean nationals from Iran back to the country. It is reported that the number of returnees so far is around 100. Upon arrival, they will wait for 1 to 2 days at the KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) training center located in Seongnam to undergo COVID-19 testing.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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