7 out of 13 Confirmed Cases Are US-Origin Overseas Infections, Raising 'Typhoon' Concerns

Passengers are undergoing special entry procedures at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy reporters Choi Dae-yeol and Kim Heung-soon] The proportion of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea among patients arriving from overseas is rapidly increasing. Along with the expanded implementation of special entry procedures, the number of new cases from the Americas, centered on the United States, is notably rising, comparable to the increase in confirmed cases from Europe where testing and quarantine have been strengthened. As of the 23rd (Korean time), the United States has surpassed 30,000 cumulative confirmed cases, ranking third worldwide after China (81,397 cases) and Italy (59,138 cases). There are about 60,000 Korean students studying there, and the number of those who cannot endure the unstable local situation and wish to return home is expected to increase rapidly. The government is closely monitoring the rising number of confirmed cases among arrivals from the Americas and is considering expanding the current comprehensive testing, which is limited to arrivals from Europe. Clinical experts are raising their voices, calling for stronger entry restrictions or mandatory self-quarantine measures.

Confirmed Cases from the U.S. Comparable to Europe
Local Confirmed Cases Surpass 30,000
60,000 Korean Students Likely to Rush Home

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters for COVID-19, as of midnight on this day, among the 64 new confirmed cases, 13 were identified through airport quarantine as imported cases. This is the third highest number after Daegu (24 cases) and Gyeonggi Province (14 cases). Among these, seven were confirmed positive after arriving from the Americas, including the United States, exceeding the number of confirmed cases from Europe (6 cases). From the 18th to the 23rd, a total of 22 confirmed cases arrived from the Americas. Considering that 64 confirmed cases arrived from Europe during the same period, including Italy, Germany, and Spain, about 34.4% of all confirmed cases from Europe were arrivals from the Americas, the majority of whom came from the United States.

According to health authorities, the number of arrivals from North America, including the United States, increased from 2,719 on the 19th to 3,414 on the 21st, averaging around 3,000 people per day. This is three times the number entering from Europe, which is about 1,000 per day. According to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System under the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as of January, there were 59,421 Korean students studying in the United States. A local official stated, "Due to the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. and school closures, a significant number of Korean students find it inevitable to return home."

Emphasis on Democratic Procedures Poses Government Dilemma
Experts Call for Mandatory Self-Quarantine and Limited Measures Including Personal Cost Burden

The government decided on the 22nd at midnight to conduct comprehensive testing only for arrivals from Europe, based on statistics showing 14.6 confirmed cases per 10,000 people in Europe and 0.7 in the United States. However, as the number of arrivals and confirmed cases from North America rapidly increased, follow-up measures began to be considered. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting that morning, "Although the risk level is still lower than Europe, the number of arrivals from North America is more than twice that of Europe. Considering our quarantine capacity, serious consideration is needed on what effective strengthening measures to adopt," and urged, "Please review quickly so that additional measures can be implemented within this week." It is highly likely that diagnostic testing and measures such as transfer to quarantine facilities based on symptoms, currently applied to all Korean and foreign nationals arriving from Europe, will be expanded to those arriving from the United States as well.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of 6 p.m. the previous day, 131 countries worldwide have implemented entry bans or restrictions on arrivals from South Korea. However, the Korean government maintains a 'liberal policy' through quarantine and management instead of blocking or restricting entry. Nevertheless, recent cases of asymptomatic individuals passing airport quarantine and later testing positive after moving to their destinations have raised calls for stronger measures to prevent community transmission.

Jeon Byung-yul, Dean of the Graduate School of Health Industry at CHA University, said, "If the number of arrivals from the U.S. increases, diagnostic testing at airport quarantine has limitations in identifying confirmed cases," and argued, "If the government only focuses on the message that it is responding to COVID-19 through democratic procedures, it cannot prevent new cases from overseas inflow." He emphasized, "For arrivals with a residence in Korea, mandatory self-quarantine for more than two weeks at their residence should be enforced, and for those without a residence, some overseas cases where self-quarantine is done at hotels or other accommodations at personal expense should be introduced."

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