Overseas Travel Surges but QR Codes Fail: 'Annoying Return Journey'

Using Mobile Pre-Entry System Instead of Quarantine Information Paper
Site Access Fails Due to User Surge... Process Takes Even Longer
Many Miss Notices Without Seeing Texts, Need to Increase Promotion

On the morning of the 23rd at around 6:30 AM, travelers are waiting to pass through the quarantine station at Incheon International Airport. Photo by a reader.

Mr. Lee (30), who returned from a business trip to Singapore on the 23rd, said he is still angry when he thinks about what he experienced at the quarantine station on the day of his return. Although he entered his information into the quarantine information pre-entry system (Q-Code) to pass through the quarantine checkpoint, the site went 'down,' causing him to wait for over an hour. According to Mr. Lee, as waiting passengers were confused and tried to fill out paper documents instead of using Q-Code, there was even a situation where people had to fill out forms on the floor due to lack of space. Mr. Lee said, "I was very angry, and many people were complaining," adding, "Seeing signs around that say 'No abusive language or swearing' makes me think this kind of situation happened often."

With the full lifting of social distancing measures, demand for overseas travel has surged, but incoming travelers are experiencing inconvenience due to the quarantine system at Incheon International Airport. Q-Code is a quarantine information pre-entry system introduced on the 1st to reduce waiting times at the COVID-19 quarantine checkpoint upon arrival. It eliminates the need to prepare multiple paper documents and in-flight declaration forms as before.

However, during peak times when many flights arrive, the site becomes overloaded, making it inaccessible and ironically increasing waiting times compared to before. Citizens have also expressed that insufficient guidance and publicity have contributed to longer waiting times. There are calls for preparations to meet the rapidly increasing passenger demand.

Mr. Jang (27), who returned from overseas travel on the 2nd, said it took two hours from receiving his luggage to completing entry procedures. He said, "Although I had already filled out the quarantine-related paper forms handed out on the plane, I heard that Q-Code was faster, so I lined up for the Q-Code queue." However, those who prepared paper documents actually passed through the quarantine station first. The reason was that most entrants heard that preparing quarantine information via Q-Code was faster, which lengthened the Q-Code waiting line. Mr. Jang said, "There were more people waiting in the Q-Code line, but since one person from each line?paper and Q-Code?was allowed through the checkpoint alternately, it ended up taking just as long."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' consular call center has been sending QR code guidance text messages to departing travelers, but many travelers have overlooked them without properly viewing. The QR code-related guidance is in the first message on the right./Photo by Reader Provided

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular call center sends Q-Code guidance text messages to departing travelers, but many travelers overlook or fail to properly check them. Mr. Kim (29), who returned from Southeast Asia on the 24th, said he accidentally learned about Q-Code only a day before returning through an internet search. Mr. Kim said, "Right before returning, when I already had to take a PCR test and so on, it was easy to miss the message."

There were also traveler opinions calling for cooperation with airlines. Mr. Jang said that flight attendants handed out quarantine-related documents on the return flight. After seeing this, he asked whether those who had completed Q-Code needed to fill out additional forms, and the flight attendant replied, "I don't really know either."

Mr. Jang said, "In the end, those who used Q-Code did not need to fill out separate forms, and the quarantine staff said they would dispose of the papers and took them away," adding, "Although it was a short time, if these issues accumulate, waiting times will increase, so it would be good to properly educate airline staff about Q-Code and provide guidance to citizens."

With the full lifting of social distancing, demand for overseas travel is surging. According to statistics from Incheon International Airport Corporation, passenger traffic in the first quarter of this year was 1,087,158, and the figure for April alone was 270,378. The demand in April increased by 229% compared to 2019.

An official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, which manages Q-Code, said, "We understand that many people mistake errors due to unfamiliar terms on the website and incorrect input," but added, "Since it is still in the early stages of implementation, we will actively work to improve the site's timeliness and establish promotional measures to ensure travelers do not experience inconvenience."

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