Korea-Singapore Agree to Introduce 'Fast Lane'... Effective from the 4th

Minister Kang Kyung-wha Talks with Singapore Foreign Minister... Easing Entry Restrictions for Essential Personnel Including Businesspeople

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the morning of the 2nd, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha agreed with Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's Foreign Minister, during a phone call to simplify entry procedures (fast lane) for essential personnel such as businesspeople and government officials from both countries.

Based on the joint statement from the ASEAN+3 special virtual summit on April 14, which aimed to promote the movement of essential personnel within the region while ensuring public health safety, the two ministers agreed to simplify entry procedures for essential personnel including businesspeople, with implementation starting from the 4th.

According to this agreement, our businesspeople can depart with a health status certificate that includes a negative COVID-19 test result and a Safe Travel Pass issued by the Singapore government. Upon arrival in Singapore, an additional COVID-19 test will be conducted, and if confirmed negative, they can carry out business activities without quarantine measures.

In addition to our nationals, permanent residents and long-term visa holders residing in Korea who possess visas allowing entry into Singapore can also use the fast lane system.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "Both Korea and Singapore are open economies with high external dependence," adding, "This agreement with Singapore, a logistics and financial hub, will contribute not only to the economic recovery of both countries under the COVID-19 situation but also to the stable maintenance of global supply chains."

So far, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been working closely with related ministries such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to establish the fast lane, and this is the fourth agreement to open a fast lane following China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Indonesia. It is the second fast lane in the ASEAN region after Indonesia, Korea's second-largest trading partner.

Furthermore, the two ministers also agreed on the necessity of international solidarity and cooperation for universal and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and decided to strengthen cooperation between the two sides to this end.

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