Korea to resume issuing short-term visas for travelers from China on Feb. 11

Arrivals hall for travelers from China [Photo by Yonhap]

South Korea will resume issuing short-term visas for travelers from China on Saturday, as the pandemic situation is improving in China, Seoul officials said on Friday.

The government made the decision as China’s Covid-19 infection wave began to subside, Kim Seong-ho, an interior ministry official, said during a government meeting.

Travelers from China that are tested Covid positive accounted for about 1 percent of arrivals last week with no variants found, Kim said.

The government will review gradually easing restrictions for those coming from China after comprehensive assessment of future virus situations.

South Korea halted the issuance of short-term visas to Chinese visitors last month amid a surge in COVID-19 infections after China’s abruptly ended its zero-COVID policy. Beijing retaliated against Seoul by imposing a similar measure.

In South Korea, the daily new cases came down to the 13,000 range on Friday, the lowest tally for a Friday in 32 weeks. The number of severely ill patients in hospital is in the 200 range for five consecutive days and the number of deaths is 17.