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| Korean tourists leave Incheon International Airport, Tuesday, after returning home on an Israeli charter flight following the Israeli government's entry ban on Koreans out of concerns over the coronavirus. / Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
With more countries banning or restricting the entry of Korean citizens due to a sharp rise in coronavirus cases here, the government has stepped up efforts to ask nations to refrain from taking "excessive" measures.
Kim Gunn, the deputy minister for political affairs, held a closed-door briefing session with officials from foreign diplomatic missions in Korea at the foreign ministry in Seoul, Tuesday. He informed them of the nation's ongoing efforts to tackle the epidemic and furthermore, expressed concerns of "Korea-phobia."
The move came after at least seven countries, including Israel and Hong Kong, have imposed entry bans on Koreans and another 10, including Britain and Thailand, have placed tighter entry restrictions on travelers from South Korea following the recent rapid spread of the virus here. Since the 31st case was confirmed, Feb. 18, the total number of infections nationwide has increased to over 900.
Seoul had earlier lodged a protest against the Israeli government's decision to ban the entry of Korean tourists without prior notice. On Saturday, Israel blocked some 150 Koreans aboard a Korean Air flight from entering the country after nine Korean tourists who stayed there earlier this month tested positive for the virus upon returning home. The stranded passengers returned home on the same flight the next day. Israel also arranged its own charter flights to send more than 1,000 Korean travelers who had been staying there back to Korea, with the first two groups of Koreans returning on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who is now attending international conferences in Geneva, Switzerland, called the Israeli government's entry ban an excessive response.
"Restricting entry and repatriating people who have already entered the country are two totally different issues," Kang said in a media interview. "Korean diplomatic missions in other countries are closely talking with the governments in which they're stationed to prevent those governments from overreacting."
She also voiced concerns over travel restrictions against people from coronavirus-affected countries and stressed the need for joint efforts to prevent their implementation.
"I am deeply concerned about incidents of xenophobia and hatred, discriminatory immigration controls and arbitrary repatriation programs against individuals from the affected countries," she said at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council.
"As more and more countries become affected by this disease, it is crucial that governments take steps to prevent these incidents and join forces in a global campaign to end it based on scientific evidence rather than taking action that will fan public panic."
More and more countries are urging their people to avoid unnecessary visits to Korea.
Hong Kong is one of them. "From 6 a.m. on Tuesday, non-Hong Kong residents travelling from Korea and those who have been to the country in the past 14 days will be barred from entering Hong Kong," Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said at a press briefing on Monday night. The government also warned its residents to avoid the destination.
Less than a week after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended people practice "enhanced precautions" in Korea, it raised its alert level for travel to Korea to its highest ― Level 3 ― which recommends its citizens to avoid all nonessential travel to the country.
Mauritius, an island nation off the eastern coast of Africa, and Vietnam have prevented the entry of some Koreans with fevers and placed them under quarantine. Mongolia and Kuwait announced that all flights to and from Korea will temporarily be suspended.
