Ministry of Foreign Affairs Considers Issuing 'Level 1 Travel Caution' Travel Alert Worldwide (Comprehensive)

Travel Advisory Level 2 Issued for 36 Countries in Western and Central Europe
Expansion of COVID-19 Test Kit Exports Considering Domestic Supply
Italian Korean Association Initiates, Monitoring Temporary Flight Situations
Koreans Stranded in Peru and Luzon Island, Philippines... "In Consultation with Host Countries"

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is speaking at a briefing for the foreign diplomatic corps in Korea on COVID-19 held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 6th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it is considering issuing a Level 1 travel alert, which corresponds to travel caution, for all regions worldwide. Previously, the Ministry had issued a Level 2 alert, corresponding to travel restraint, for 36 countries in Western and Central Europe.

A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the 17th in a meeting with reporters, "There is a trend of expanding entry restrictions abroad without distinguishing nationality," adding, "Since the possibility of our citizens experiencing inconveniences while traveling overseas is increasing, we are considering issuing a Level 1 travel alert for all foreign countries."

Exports of diagnostic kits for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) will be gradually expanded considering the domestic supply situation. So far, it is known that 17 countries have requested imports of diagnostic kits. The Blue House previously announced that it had urgently exported 51,000 diagnostic kits for COVID-19 testing to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is the first export case since the COVID-19 outbreak.

The senior official explained, "We confirmed the domestic demand situation several times before deciding on exports," and added, "The UAE hopes to secure a larger quantity, and I understand that long-term additional order contracts with diagnostic kit companies are also being discussed." He continued, "Many countries are importing diagnostic kit-related supplies domestically," and said, "In the case of developing countries, free support is being requested, which differs from exports, so inter-agency consultations are necessary, and we will proceed with the procedures after sufficient discussions."

Diagnostic kit-related items intended for export to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are stored in a logistics warehouse near Incheon Airport. (Photo by Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

The senior official emphasized that this first export case of diagnostic kits became a turning point in providing help to the international community amid a defensive situation aimed at minimizing entry restrictions on Korea. He said, "There were many confirmed cases in Korea, and the stance was defensive on how to prevent entry bans on Koreans, but now it has become a turning point where we actively play the role of a helper in foreign countries' COVID-19 responses."

Regarding the temporary flights promoted by the Korean Association in Italy, the official said that since it is a model with less government burden, they are monitoring the progress. The Korean Association in Italy is conducting a demand survey for temporary flights until 6 p.m. local time on the 17th. Once the demand survey is completed, the association plans to negotiate with Korean Air.

The senior official said, "This is a case where flights are arranged independently without government intervention from a commercial perspective," adding, "If it is promoted like temporary additional flights, it is relatively easier, so it can be a model with less government burden, and we are paying close attention to it."

As the Peruvian government closed its borders from the 17th (local time), about 150 Korean tourists were also stranded. Since citizens of various countries around the world are all isolated, the government is cooperating with the United States, Japan, and others for joint response. The senior official explained, "We have not yet received specific reports on exceptional measures," adding, "We are consulting with the host country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Korean embassy in Peru and cooperating with other relevant countries."

Regarding measures following the lockdown of Luzon Island in the Philippines, the senior official added, "We are continuing consultations with the local embassy to enable travelers to depart for now." The Korean Embassy in the Philippines is preparing measures to transport Korean residents within the deadline in cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korean airlines. It is known that about 50,000 to 60,000 Koreans are staying in this area alone. However, the government is currently not considering deploying charter flights at the government level.

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