S. Korea seeks entry ban on foreigners to be released from quarantined cruise ship in Japan

SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will bar foreigners to be released from a quarantined cruise ship off Japan from entering the country, a senior Seoul official said Wednesday, as Japanese authorities are scheduled to end the vessel's quarantine over the coronavirus.

In a press briefing, Noh Hong-in, an official of the central disaster headquarters, also said that South Koreans who have been aboard the Diamond Princess docked in Yokohama, Japan, will be put under self-quarantine should they decide to fly to Korea.

South Korea has requested the list of passengers on the ship through the foreign ministry, he said.

Earlier in the day, a South Korean presidential plane arrived back in Seoul carrying six Korean nationals and a Japanese spouse who were aboard the ship. The Korean evacuees were among 14 South Koreans on the ship -- nine passengers and five crew members.

The cruise ship in question has been in quarantine since it reported the first group of COVID-19 infections on Feb. 5. The number of confirmed cases has swelled to more than 500 out of some 3,700 aboard.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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