"Concerns Over COVID-19 Imported Cases... Foreign Students Advised to Take Remote Classes in Second Semester"

Ministry of Education Extends Special Exemption for Visa Reporting for International Students Not Entering Korea
Priority Entry for International Students with Secured Self-Quarantine Residence... Encouraging Staggered Entry Dates

As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is rapidly increasing, Chinese international students from Kangwon National University who arrived through Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of February 24 are moving to board a bus. / Yeongjongdo - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] To block overseas inflow due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the government has decided to encourage foreign students to take remote classes in their home countries and to stagger their entry times in the second semester as well.

On the morning of the 29th, the Ministry of Education announced at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting chaired by the Prime Minister that it would promote measures to protect and manage foreign students, including the above.

First, each university will actively encourage students to take remote classes in their home countries based on the experience gained during the COVID-19 response in the first semester. To this end, guidelines for improving the quality of remote classes and enhancing student satisfaction will be prepared and provided.

In addition, support will be provided to extend the application of the "exemption from non-entry reporting special case" for degree-seeking foreign students who do not enter the country due to remote classes, etc.

Each university will establish a plan to manage the entry timing of foreign students and share entry information with local governments so that students enter within the quarantine management conditions, such as quarantine personnel and diagnostic test supplies. Foreign students who have secured places where they can live independently, such as university dormitories, temporary quarantine facilities, or one-room apartments, will be given priority for entry, and if entry is concentrated in a specific period causing expected limitations in the quarantine system, entry dispersion will also be encouraged.

For foreign students who have entered, universities will monitor them daily and provide information on punishment standards and cases for quarantine violations before and upon entry to alleviate concerns and anxiety about community infection.

The Ministry of Education plans to reflect the COVID-19 situation in future evaluations of internationalization capacity certification by adjusting indicators to reduce the evaluation burden on universities and to reflect universities' efforts to protect and manage foreign students.

Meanwhile, since the implementation of special entry procedures and foreign student protection and management measures earlier this year, a total of 37,375 foreign students have entered the country, with 25,777 from China, 8,344 from Vietnam, 59 from the United States, 93 from Europe, and 3,102 from other countries.

Among these students, 23 tested positive for COVID-19; 7 were identified at airport quarantine, and 16 were confirmed through proactive testing by local governments.

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo Eun-hye said, "I would like to express my gratitude to the education community, government departments, local governments, and medical staff who are dedicating themselves in the education field to ensure the learning rights of not only foreign students but also our own students," and emphasized, "We will do our best to protect and manage foreign students in the second semester as well."

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