South Korea to lift quarantine requirement for non-vaccinated foreign arrivals

A child wearing a face mask to prevent from contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) walks at Incheon International Airport, in Incheon, South Korea

South Korea's prime minister on Friday said the country will lift its quarantine requirement for foreign arrivals without vaccination from June 8 and also start lifting aviation regulations imposed for international flights.

However, the government will maintain the requirement of a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result prior to entry and a PCR test within 72 hours after arrival.

"While there was a 7-day quarantine obligation for non-vaccinated foreign arrivals until now, such requirement will be eliminated from June 8 regardless of their vaccination status," Prime Minister Han Duck-soo told a pandemic response meeting, adding the country's COVID-19 situation had stabilised.

Han said any aviation regulations imposed at Incheon International Airport will be lifted from June 8 to ensure that flights can operate in a timely manner, as current restrictions on flights and flight operation times have caused inconveniences such as lack of tickets and rising prices.

Reporting by Joori Roh; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Michael Perry

REUTERS