China restricts short-term visa issuance... Mandatory PCR testing for all entrants

Jungdaebon Announces Strengthened Quarantine Measures for China
Entry Difficult for Chinese Travelers
Additional Flight Capacity Restricted
Mandatory Use of 'Q-Code'... Quarantine Management Also Enforced

On the 30th, at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting held at the Government Seoul Office Building, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is delivering opening remarks on quarantine measures for arrivals from China. / Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Gwan-ju and Byun Seon-jin] The government has decided to restrict the issuance of short-term visas and effectively halt additional flights from China in order to minimize the domestic impact of the COVID-19 spread in China. All entrants will be required to undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and confirmed cases imported from overseas will be subject to quarantine measures.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) finalized the "COVID-19 Trends and Response Plan Related to China" at a CDSCH meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the 30th.

This measure is in response to the spread of COVID-19 within China. The number of confirmed cases imported from China into the country has also surged sharply, increasing nearly 15-fold from 19 cases last month to 278 as of the day before. The government had earlier added China to the target countries for quarantine at Incheon International Airport starting from the 16th and tightened the fever threshold (from 37.5℃ to 37.3℃), but with the continued spread in China and increased risk of importation, this plan was prepared to minimize the domestic impact.

First, until the end of January next year, the issuance of short-term visas at Chinese diplomatic missions will be restricted except for diplomatic/official purposes, essential business operations, and humanitarian reasons. This is interpreted as a measure to effectively block short-term domestic travel from China. Additionally, flights originating from China will be partially reduced and further increases in flights will be restricted. Currently, flights from China arriving at four airports will be consolidated to Incheon Airport for stable management of arrivals.

Regarding COVID-19 testing, which has drawn significant attention, it was decided that testing will be conducted both before and after entry. Starting January 5 next year, all Korean and foreign nationals boarding flights from China to Korea must submit a PCR test result within 48 hours before boarding or a professional rapid antigen test (RAT) result within 24 hours. Furthermore, PCR testing within one day after entry will be implemented from January 2. Short-term foreign visitors must undergo testing immediately upon arrival and wait in a designated area until results are confirmed. Korean nationals and long-term foreign residents must also be tested at a local health center within one day of entry and remain at home until test results are confirmed.

In addition, to prevent confusion at the arrival hall, the use of the "Quarantine Information Pre-Entry System (Q-Code)" will be mandatory for flights from China. Entrants must register their domestic address and contact information via Q-Code before boarding. Quarantine management for confirmed cases imported from China will also be strengthened. Temporary home isolation facilities will be operated nationwide, and confirmed cases detected at the airport will be managed in temporary isolation facilities.

Prime Minister Han Deok-soo stated, "We have unavoidably strengthened some quarantine measures to prevent domestic spread due to the worsening COVID-19 situation in China," adding, "We anticipate inconvenience for those entering from China due to the strengthened quarantine regulations, but we ask for understanding as these measures are necessary to minimize COVID-19 spread and stabilize the domestic quarantine situation, and we request active cooperation."

Experts view the strengthening of quarantine measures for arrivals from China as inevitable. Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital said, "With the increase of variant viruses such as BF.7 in China and the rising number of arrivals from China, it reminds us of the nightmare when COVID-19 first emerged three years ago and China entry was not banned," adding, "Since public health and safety are the top priorities, it is appropriate to implement strengthened quarantine measures specifically for arrivals from China. Additional strengthening measures should also be taken based on scientific quarantine."

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