Trump, Restriction on Entry of Korean Citizens "Possible at the Right Time... Not Now" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] On the 26th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump said that travel restrictions on citizens from South Korea and Italy, where the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has spread, could be implemented at an appropriate time, but not right now.

President Trump made these remarks during a COVID-19 related press conference at the White House briefing room at 6:30 p.m., when asked about travel and entry restrictions on South Korea and Italy.

He added, "We need to focus on our country. They are working on their own countries."

The U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised the travel advisory for South Korea to Level 2 on the 22nd, and the CDC further elevated it to the highest Level 3 (avoid non-essential travel) two days later on the 24th.

Meanwhile, at the press conference, President Trump emphasized that "the likelihood of COVID-19 spreading within the United States is extremely low," focusing on alleviating fears about the virus that had spread domestically, including the sharp decline in the stock market.