US Lowers South Korea Travel Advisory to Level 2... China and Japan Remain at Level 3

Sudden Downgrade Alongside 'Five Eyes' Countries Australia and New Zealand

Ahead of Thanksgiving, as the United States faces an emergency due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), on the 23rd (local time) at Los Angeles (LA) International Airport in California, flight crew members wearing COVID-19 protective suits are walking through the Tom Bradley Terminal.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. Department of State has downgraded the travel advisory for South Korea from Level 3 'Reconsider Travel' to Level 2 'Enhanced Caution.'

This move was made simultaneously with actions taken for U.S. intelligence allies such as Australia and New Zealand, and is expected to serve as an opportunity to confirm the growth of national power resulting from successful COVID-19 containment.

The U.S. maintained Level 3 travel advisories for China and Japan.

On the 24th (local time), the U.S. Department of State announced on its website that the travel advisory for South Korea had been lowered by one level to Level 2.

The Department of State's travel advisories are divided into four levels: General Precautions, Enhanced Caution, Reconsider Travel, and Do Not Travel, in that order.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also issued a Level 2 travel advisory for South Korea. The CDC categorizes COVID-19 risk levels by country into four levels: Level 4 'Very High,' Level 3 'High,' Level 2 'Moderate,' and Level 1 'Low,' with South Korea falling under Level 2 Moderate.

At the end of February, the Department of State had raised the travel advisory for Daegu to Level 4 Do Not Travel, while maintaining Level 3 Reconsider Travel for other regions of South Korea. After issuing Level 4 advisories globally, it adjusted the advisory for all of South Korea to Level 3 in August.

The recent downgrade of the travel advisory by the U.S. government appears to have been made following a review of the situation by country. Besides South Korea, Australia’s advisory was also lowered to Level 2. New Zealand’s advisory was changed to the lowest Level 1.

Although China has declared success in its own COVID-19 containment efforts, the Level 3 advisory remains in place. Japan, where COVID-19 is rapidly spreading recently, also remains at Level 3.