The government has decided to lift the obligation for COVID-19 genetic amplification (PCR) testing after entering South Korea for people arriving from China on the 1st of next month.

The ban to allow flights from China to arrive only at Incheon Airport will also be lifted on the same day.

Kim Sung-ho, the second general coordinator of the Central Disaster Safety Headquarters (Critical Script), revealed the government's policy at a critical meeting today (2 May).

Citing the stable COVID-22 situation in the country and the drop in the positivity rate of arrivals from China to 19.0% (the third week of February), he said, "We believe that further relaxation of quarantine measures is possible."

"We will extend the pre-entry inspection and the mandatory entry of the cue code until March 6 to confirm the impact of the suspension of other measures and end it after evaluation."

Since the 2nd of last month, the anti-epidemic authorities have required people entering South Korea from China to take a genetic amplification (PCR) test immediately after entering the country, and from the 3th of the same month, they have also been required to submit a negative test certificate received locally before entering the country.

The quarantine authorities have decided to apply the mandatory pre- and post-entry testing measures and the unified measures at the arrival airport until February 3.

The Korean government resumed issuing short-term visas to Chinese nationals on the 10th, which had been suspended since 2 March, judging that the corona situation in China was stable and that the new variants that were feared had not appeared, and in line with this, China also lifted the restriction on the issuance of short-term visas to Koreans from the 5th.

The government has also said it will increase flights from China from 2 a week to 28 a week by the end of this month and 2 a week from March.