Korea may lift Chinese short-term visa suspension earlier than planned

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KCDA) director Jee Young-mee speaks during a press meeting held in the agency's headquarters in Osong, North Chungcheong, on Tuesday. [KCDA]

Korea may lift its suspension on issuing short-term visas to Chinese nationals earlier than planned, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced Tuesday.

According to the agency's director Jee Young-mee, the decision to review the measure comes as the Covid-19 situation in China appears to be stabilizing. The mandatory PCR testing for all arrivals from China will continue throughout February as planned.

"Although the official data has not been released yet, it is certain that the Covid-19 situation in China has significantly stabilized and is on a downward trend, according to various local sources," Jee said in a press meeting in Osong, North Chungcheong, on Tuesday. "New variations have not turned up, and the increase after the Lunar New Year holiday is close to none."

The agency is reviewing lifting the suspension on issuing short-term visas to Chinese nationals in consideration of China's improving situation, but maintain the mandatory PCR tests and Q-CODE uploads will last until the end of February as initially planned, Jee added.

"Covid-19 may as well be a virus that will stick around for a very long time, or even forever, but it is clear that we can see the end of a very long tunnel," the KDCA director said, adding that this year will be Korea's first year to return to normalcy.

The KDCA will also lay out plans to have Covid-19 vaccinations available to take regularly, like the flu shots, by the end of this year.

BY SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]