Japan Notifies South Korea in Advance... Foreign Ministry Official "Additional Measures Against Japan Will Be Taken If Necessary"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is aware of Japan's movements regarding the planned entry ban measures from Korea, China, and the United States, and is closely monitoring the situation in Japan while preparing to take additional measures if necessary.
On the 31st, NHK reported that Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu clearly stated his intention to refuse entry to foreigners from Korea, China, the United States, and most European countries. At a press conference that day, Foreign Minister Motegi announced that the list of regions subject to entry refusal would be expanded soon due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).
In response, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official explained, "We understand that the Japanese government has today raised the infectious disease risk information to level 3 for multiple countries including our country, the United States, and China, and raised the infectious disease risk information to level 2 for the rest of the world," adding, "We are aware of the related trends regarding the planned entry ban measures for level 3 regions and are communicating with the Japanese side." The official also added, "We have expressed regret when Japan notified us."
Regarding whether Korea will take additional measures against Japan, the official said that additional measures will be taken depending on the situation within Japan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "The government has decided to implement a measure from April 1st to mandate 14 days of self-isolation or facility quarantine for all overseas arrivals to strengthen quarantine management," adding, "We will closely monitor the spread of infection within Japan and take additional measures if necessary."
The official added, "Apart from regional cooperation to block the spread of COVID-19, our government intends to continuously urge the Japanese government to promptly lift the entry ban measures against Korea."
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