S. Korea summons Singaporean envoy over expanded entry ban

SEOUL, March 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea called in Singapore's ambassador on Wednesday to lodge a complaint after the Southeast Asian country expanded its entry ban on travelers from South Korea over coronavirus concerns.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn met with Ambassador Eric Teo and sternly protested the decision, the ministry said.

Singapore announced early this week that it will bar the entry and transit of foreigners who have visited South Korea, China, northern Italy and Iran in the past two weeks, starting Thursday. It has also urged its people to avoid nonessential travel to those regions.

The city-state had banned visitors from Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province in Korea's southeast where the bulk of COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred.

elly@yna.co.kr
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