BANNING OF S. KOREA-JAPAN NO-VISA ENTRIES

[Anchor Lead]

Korea and Japan have both banned 90-day no-visa entries for Japanese and Korean citizens and suspended the effectiveness of existing visas. When asked why the Korean government placed reciprocal travel restrictions only on Japan when some 100 region and countries have restricted entry for people from Korea because, Cheong Wa Dae countered that it was a restrained measure that put public health first.

[Pkg]

Starting today, Japanese nationals cannot visit Korea without a visa. The visas already issued are invalidated. People arriving from that country must undergo a special three-step entry procedure that includes checkup and contact verification. The South Korean government and presidential office emphasized it was a restrained measure that put public health and safety first. Seoul took such actions because Japan suddenly placed travel restrictions on Korea first just when Japan's quarantine capability was being questioned with COVID-19 spreading fast in that nation.

[Soundbite] KANG MIN-SEOK(PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON) : "This was a decision made with a priority on public health and safety and a focus on preventing infectious diseases."

The government stressed the reciprocal measure was limited to the visa issue. Visa policy tends to be reciprocal. So, it was inevitable for a sovereign state to make such a decision. The Korean government clarified that it responded in a restrained manner to the rest of Japan's irrational and excessive actions. Korea did not present any corresponding measures to Japan's expanded entry ban areas and limited entry airports. As for the 14-day hold rule, Korea applied to the Japanese nationals the special entry procedure the Chinese nationals have been subjected to.

[Soundbite] KANG MIN-SEOK(PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON) : "How our actions be seen as favoring China while being strict on Japan, when we are applying the same special entry procedure to both countries?"

Seoul believes the "entry restriction" card was used to drum up support for the Abe administration, weakened by poor handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Korean government will keep its eyes on the situation before taking any further actions.