Sensitive China... "Koreans Even Denied Apartment Entry Due to Resident Opposition"

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Sunmi Park] Due to the spread of COVID-19 in Korea, anti-Korean sentiment is intensifying across various parts of China. In some areas, Koreans are even being refused entry into their homes by neighbors opposing their presence.

According to the Korean Consulate General in Shanghai and local Korean residents on the 28th, an incident occurred in Nanjing where Koreans were collectively denied entry to their apartment complex. About 30 Koreans who arrived by plane the previous day to their residences in China were unable to enter their homes due to opposition from the apartment residents' committee and spent the night at a nearby hotel.

At that time, a Chinese passenger with a sore throat symptom was identified on the plane they boarded, resulting in 34 passengers around that individual being quarantined, while the remaining passengers were allowed to return home under 14 days of self-quarantine. Similar cases of Koreans returning from Korea being denied entry to their homes have been reported in Shanghai, Suzhou, and other areas.

In areas densely populated by Koreans, a reluctance toward Koreans is also forming among Chinese residents. In a parent group chat of an elementary school in the Wangjing area of Beijing, a Chinese parent expressed, "It is very frightening that Koreans are coming into Wangjing." Korean-language banners urging "Wear Masks" have also been displayed within apartment complexes.

On online communities frequently visited by Koreans living in China, there are increasing posts expressing concerns about returning from Korea to their residences in China. With tightened controls on passengers arriving from Korea at airports and experiences spreading of being unable to enter apartments or feeling the suspicious gaze of Chinese residents toward Koreans, the anxiety among the Korean community is growing.

Our diplomatic authorities are taking measures to allow reporting if discriminatory or selective actions targeting only Koreans are implemented by local governments or residential complexes to prevent harm to Koreans. They are also demanding corrective actions in areas where reports have been received.

Although anti-Korean sentiment is rising in China, the Chinese state-run media Global Times pointed out in an editorial that "the quarantine measures for arrivals from Korea in some Chinese cities will not distance the relationship between Korea and China."

The newspaper justified the quarantine measures taken by some cities for arrivals from Korea, stating, "China's measures toward Korea cannot be said to be stricter. Korea completely bans arrivals from Hubei, but some Chinese provinces are not banning entry; they have just started quarantining travelers arriving from Korea." The newspaper added, "Chinese people value the relationship between China and Korea but prioritize the safety of Chinese citizens."