International Students from 'Special Entry Procedures' Countries Prohibited from Attending School for 2 Weeks After Entering Korea

Ministry of Education Strengthens Management of Over 8,900 People from Japan, Italy, Iran, and Others

On the 9th, when mutual visa-free entry between Korea and Japan was suspended, passengers arriving on a flight from Japan at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport underwent special entry procedures such as quarantine and contact information verification. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] In the future, international students entering from countries subject to special entry procedures such as Japan, Italy, and Iran will be required to quarantine in dormitories or one-room apartments for two weeks after arrival.

The Ministry of Education announced on the 13th that it will expand the protection and management measures previously applied to international students entering from China, as the number of countries subject to special entry procedures related to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) increases.

Previously, the government gradually expanded the countries subject to special entry procedures, starting with China on February 4, followed by Hong Kong and Macao on February 12, Japan on March 9, Italy and Iran on March 12, and France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands on March 15.

Special entry procedures include temperature checks using thermal cameras, completion of health questionnaires, installation of self-diagnosis apps, and isolation of symptomatic individuals. Even if international students do not show specific symptoms such as fever, all students are prohibited from attending school for 14 days after entry.

Accordingly, students entering from these countries must self-quarantine in university dormitories or one-room apartments and check their health status daily using self-diagnosis apps.

According to the Ministry of Education, excluding mainland China, as of April last year, 8,979 international students from countries subject to special entry procedures were enrolled in domestic universities.

By country, Japanese students number 4,392, the largest group, followed by French students at 1,442, Hong Kong and Macao students at 1,003, German students at 814, British students at 295, Iranian students at 273, Dutch students at 270, Italian students at 245, and Spanish students at 245.

The Ministry of Education plans to identify the entry plans of students currently residing in these countries.

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