Korea and China Explore Easing Entry Restrictions for Businesspeople... Japan Says "Difficult During State of Emergency"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Amid the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), South Korea and China have approached Japan to discuss easing entry restrictions for businesspeople and others, Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 17th.

South Korea and China currently allow travelers for economic activities and other purposes to enter without a 2-week quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19 in a pre-departure PCR test and again test negative in a PCR test upon arrival in the other country. The newspaper reported that Japan is considering applying a similar easing of entry restrictions.

However, there is an assessment that it will be difficult for Japan to immediately accept this method of easing entry restrictions.

Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu stated at a press conference on the 15th, "First, it is necessary to control the spread of infection within Japan."

A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly responded, "It is difficult to ease entry restrictions from overseas while a state of emergency is declared domestically," according to Yomiuri.

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