Incheon Airport COVID-19 Testing Center to Open from the 31st

Paid Testing... Diagnostic Tests Conducted to Confirm Health Status of Overseas Departing Passengers

On the morning of the 8th, when the special entry procedure for businesspeople between Korea and Japan was implemented, passengers at the departure hall of Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport were undergoing boarding procedures for a flight to Tokyo, Japan, while carrying negative COVID-19 test certificates. Businesspeople using the special entry procedure between Korea and Japan must monitor their health for 14 days before departure and receive a COVID-19 test within 72 hours before the flight departure, then submit a negative test certificate.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Je-hoon] The first-ever COVID-19 testing center inside an airport in South Korea will begin operations at Incheon International Airport.

Incheon International Airport Corporation announced on the 28th that it will operate a COVID-19 testing center located in the external space on the west side of Basement Level 1 of Terminal 2 starting from the 31st. The operation of the COVID-19 testing center will be managed by Inha University Hospital, affiliated with Inha University College of Medicine, which currently oversees the medical center at Incheon Airport.

The Incheon Airport COVID-19 testing center is classified as a 'testing center' rather than a 'screening clinic.' Screening clinics primarily test individuals with epidemiological links or suspected symptoms, whereas testing centers are airport medical facilities for passengers departing to countries that require mandatory submission of a negative COVID-19 certificate.

An Incheon Airport official stated, "The Incheon Airport testing center will mainly conduct diagnostic tests to confirm the health status of passengers departing overseas."

At the Incheon Airport testing center, passengers can choose between polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and antibody tests, depending on the requirements for overseas entry. Since PCR tests take at least 7 hours to confirm results and antibody tests take about 1 hour, passengers planning to use the testing center before international departure should check the processing time for each test in advance.

The testing center operates daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can be used by making a reservation on the website or by on-site registration. However, it is closed during lunchtime from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

The testing services are fee-based. Based on medical service fees, PCR tests are priced at approximately 79,010 KRW, and antibody tests at 50,000 KRW. Consultation fees (ranging from 16,140 KRW to 30,210 KRW) and the cost for issuing a negative certificate (30,000 KRW) are charged separately.

Incheon International Airport Corporation and Inha University Hospital plan to consider expanding the operation hours and locations of the testing center depending on usage performance. Starting next year, they intend to install kiosks for issuing negative certificates in the departure halls of passenger terminals to further enhance passenger convenience.

Lim Nam-su, Acting President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, said, "By operating the first COVID-19 testing center at a domestic airport, we expect to strengthen the airport's quarantine infrastructure and significantly improve passenger convenience," adding, "We will continue to make every effort to ensure that passengers can use Incheon Airport with peace of mind."

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