7-8 countries grant S. Korean businesspeople exceptions to entry curbs: official

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, March 16 (Yonhap) -- Seven to eight countries have granted exceptions to their coronavirus entry restrictions and allowed South Korean businesspeople to come in on a case-by-base basis, a foreign ministry official said Monday.

South Korea has been in talks with about 20 countries to persuade them to allow the entry of businesspeople with no risk of coronavirus infection, as many companies have been struggling to keep up with their overseas businesses at a time when 140 countries and territories are restricting arrivals from Korea.

"We can say that we have achieved seven to eight such cases by today, in which (they) accepted our requests for exceptions, on a case-by-case basis, like special projects and so on," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

The official added that the cases came from countries in Asia, including Central Asia, and the Middle East, without specifying further, citing the sensitivity of the matter. Foreign countries are reportedly very cautious about allowing exceptions as they have already been enforcing tougher entry controls for Korea.

Seoul officials have pledged greater efforts to make such exceptions a standard practice.

On Monday, South Korea reported 74 new cases of coronavirus infections, bringing the total infection tally to 8,236, with 75 deaths linked to the virus, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. The latest new cases marked the lowest number of daily infections in more than three weeks.

elly@yna.co.kr
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