Korean Passenger Trapped on Japanese Cruise: "Out of Shampoo and Laundry Soap... I Want to Go Home to Korea"

A single ambulance is departing on the 14th from Yokohama Port, Japan, where the cruise ship "Diamond Princess" (in the background), with a large number of confirmed COVID-19 patients, is docked. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is increasing on the cruise ship 'Diamond Princess,' which is quarantined while docked at Yokohama Port in Japan, some Korean passengers quarantined on the cruise ship are expressing anxiety, saying they "want to go to Korea."

Earlier, on the 13th, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that out of 713 people tested for COVID-19 among the passengers on the cruise ship, 218 tested positive.

The infected passengers are being sequentially transferred to medical institutions for treatment. Among them, 11 severe patients are reportedly receiving treatment in intensive care units. However, 14 Koreans on board the cruise ship (9 passengers and 5 crew members) are still known to be quarantined inside the ship.

Some Korean passengers also complained about the inconveniences of quarantine life.

A woman in her 60s, Ms. A, a Korean resident in Japan, said in an interview with JTBC, "We cannot go outside the room at all," adding, "Cleaning has never been done, and shampoo, rinse, laundry soap, and other supplies have all run out."

She continued, "New patients are emerging every day, and today 44 people were transferred to hospitals," expressing her anxious feelings by saying, "If only Koreans are taken, I want to go."

The cruise ship "Diamond Princess," where a cluster of COVID-19 infections occurred, is docked at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Port, Japan, on the 14th. The number of passengers who tested positive has reached 218. / Photo by Yonhap News

The government currently has no plans to transfer Koreans on board the cruise ship back to the country.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated on the 14th, "So far, no passengers have told the Consulate General in Yokohama that they want to go to Korea."

He explained, "Among the 14 Koreans, 8 mainly live in Japan, and only one has ties to Korea," adding, "Among the 5 crew members, 2 have ties to Korea."

In particular, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official cited that other countries are also entrusting the management of cruise ship passengers to the Japanese government as a reason for carefully reviewing the transfer plan.

About 400 Americans are on board the cruise ship, with about 30 infected. Australia and Canada each have about 200 passengers, but they are leaving them in Japan without repatriation.

Meanwhile, it is reported that there are currently no suspected COVID-19 patients among the Korean cruise passengers.