Ministry of Foreign Affairs Expresses Strong Regret to Australia Over Entry Ban... Summons Australian Ambassador to Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed strong regret on the 5th over Australia's announcement of a ban on entry for foreigners coming from Korea.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the day, "The Australian side gave prior notice through diplomatic channels just before the announcement," adding, "While emphasizing that they are making all-out efforts at the whole-of-government level to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), they expressed strong regret over taking such measures without sufficient prior consultation with our side."

Kim Jeong-han, Director of the Asia-Pacific Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reportedly summoned the Australian Ambassador to Korea to the Ministry's building at 11 a.m. that day to convey the government's position. Regarding the differences between Italy's and Korea's measures, the Australian side explained that the number of Koreans visiting Australia is five times greater than that of Italians, which accounts for the significant difference. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 249,000 Koreans visited Australia last year, while 187,000 Australians visited Korea.

The Australian government will ban entry of foreigners arriving from Korea starting at 7 p.m. Korean time on the same day. This measure will be applied for seven days and is expected to be reviewed weekly for possible extension.