International Organization for Migration Focuses on South Korea's Border Reopening Policy Amid COVID-19 Crisis... Global 'Mobility Crisis' Faces the World

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The achievements of ‘K-Quarantine,’ which has effectively responded to COVID-19 without a full border lockdown, are being shared with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, and its 173 member countries and over 390 offices worldwide.

The IOM Korea Office announced on the 20th that, together with the Migration Research and Training Center, it has published an issue brief titled "Mobility Crisis and Response in the COVID-19 Era: Korea’s Approach," analyzing Korea’s border opening policies related to its COVID-19 response.

The report examined the background and structural factors behind the Korean government’s maintenance of border opening policies from the early stages of the pandemic to the present, based on key principles such as openness, transparency, and democracy in its COVID-19 response. It also specifically introduced the operation of the Special Immigration Procedure, which is central to the border opening policy.

According to IOM, as of the end of April, 215 countries, regions, and territories have implemented approximately 52,000 types of mobility restriction measures. The world is facing what is called a ‘mobility crisis.’

In this context, IOM noted growing international interest and recognition of Korea’s openness and quarantine level, as it has not imposed domestic mobility restrictions or border lockdowns. The report also highlighted that Korea not only maintains its border opening policy through thorough quarantine measures for incoming travelers but also conducts multi-stage quarantine for departing travelers to prevent the virus from spreading domestically.

The report identified leadership, a whole-of-government approach, legal/administrative systems, and policy flexibility as key factors enabling Korea to maintain openness. It also emphasized the importance of global solidarity to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, overcome the mobility crisis, and minimize socio-economic impacts.

Park Mi-hyung, head of the IOM Korea Office, pointed out, “Many countries worldwide are imposing mobility restrictions to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, but there is generally skepticism about the sustainability of such policies,” explaining the background of the issue brief’s publication. “Although each country’s situation and capacity differ, Korea’s policies could serve as a reference.”

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