PCR tests no longer required after arrival to Korea starting Saturday

Travelers arriving at the Incheon internatiojnal airport are waiting to be tested for Covid-19 on Thursday. Korea announced the mandatory PCR tests will be scrapped for travelers starting this Saturday. [NEWS1]

The PCR tests mandatory upon arrival in Korea are no longer required for travelers into the country starting this Saturday, the country’s health authorities announced Friday.  
 
“All mandatory PCR tests for inbound travelers will be lifted starting Oct. 1,” said Lee Ki-il, the second vice minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, in a press briefing on Friday.
 
Travelers to Korea until Friday had to be tested for Covid-19 at least by the second midnight after arriving.  
 
With this, all travel-related Covid-19 restrictions in Korea will have been lifted, as the authorities also lifted earlier mandatory quarantines and pre-arrival PCR tests for inbound travelers.
 
Anyone showing symptoms of Covid-19 infection within three days of their arrival in the country can still be tested for free at one of the public health centers throughout the country. 


BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]