[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Countries with Travel Bans Increasing for Military Personnel

On the 13th, a thermal imaging camera to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) was installed at the entrance of the 2020 Housing Brand Fair held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] The military has significantly expanded the list of countries where travel is prohibited to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 17th, the military banned all soldiers from traveling and official business trips to China, including Hong Kong and Macau, starting from the 29th of last month. Subsequently, the Air Force expanded the travel ban countries from China to six additional countries?Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore?starting from the 12th of this month. The total number of countries where all soldiers are banned from traveling has increased to seven.

However, the travel ban on these seven countries applies only to the Air Force. Due to the nature of their missions, Air Force personnel often work in enclosed spaces such as the Missile Command and Control Room (MCRC), Korea Aerospace Operations Center (KAOC), and emergency standby rooms, making them more vulnerable to infection.

The Army and Navy have issued travel bans only for China and have lowered the alert level to travel advisories for other countries. The Army and Navy maintain that even under travel advisories, travel is practically prohibited except in unavoidable cases. The government currently designates China, Hong Kong, Macau, and other areas as contaminated regions and has strengthened entry procedures such as special quarantine.

Meanwhile, as of 9 a.m. on the 17th, the number of soldiers quarantined to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the military is 329 in total, including 100 officers and 229 enlisted personnel. There are no confirmed cases. Considering that about 1,100 military personnel were quarantined on the 7th, this represents a reduction of more than half. The number of individuals who postponed enlistment is 220. The Military Manpower Administration has allowed enlistment postponement even if there are no symptoms such as fever for those who have visited China or have been in contact with someone who visited China.

A total of 459 personnel have been deployed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Among them, the support personnel at the Chungnam Asan Police Human Resources Development Institute, who returned from Wuhan, China, and were quarantined, are scheduled to withdraw completely on the 17th.

A military official stated, "We plan to distribute 8.9 million military masks secured due to fine dust within the first half of the year," and added, "Each unit is preparing various measures, such as reducing contact with civilians, to minimize damage caused by COVID-19."