Overseas Business Travelers to Receive Vaccinations Regardless of Trip Duration

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] Vaccination for businesspeople traveling abroad on business trips will be fully expanded regardless of the duration of the trip.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 17th that from the 21st, vaccination will be implemented for overseas business travelers staying abroad for more than 3 months and up to 1 year.

The vaccination system for businesspeople traveling abroad, which has been in effect since March 17, was initially operated mainly for short-term business travelers of 3 months or less, considering the vaccine supply situation. Subsequently, from May 17, the scope was expanded to include long-term dispatch workers (including accompanying family members) staying for more than 1 year, and now it has been further extended to overseas business travelers staying between 3 months and 1 year.

Businesspeople who have completed vaccination have been able to receive quarantine exemption upon returning to Korea from overseas business trips without a separate application procedure since May 1. Also, whereas previously vaccination applications had to be submitted at least 60 days before departure, from the 7th, the requirement has been relaxed to allow applications 30 days before departure.

With the full allowance of vaccination for overseas businesspeople, a surge in applications from businesspeople is expected.

According to the Businesspeople Entry and Exit Comprehensive Support Center, about 9,663 businesspeople applied for vaccination during the approximately three-month period (March 17 to June 15) since the system was implemented, and applications were distributed to 15 relevant ministries depending on the case. The number of applications reviewed by each ministry was highest at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy with 3,476, followed by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups with 3,156, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries with 726, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport with 596.

The number of applicants by country was highest for the United States (1,327), followed by China (864), Indonesia (694), and Vietnam (536).

Furthermore, the number of applicants increased by 137%, from 2,149 in April to 5,084 in June, before and after the quarantine exemption for fully vaccinated entrants. Among these, 1,257 cases were long-term dispatch workers including accompanying family members.

Kwon Jongheon, head of the Comprehensive Support Center, said, "Along with manpower support to promptly handle the demand for businesspeople’s vaccination, it is necessary to designate separate review ministries for applications that are difficult to review by a specific ministry due to the complex purposes and fields of business trips." In response, Vice Minister Park Jinkyu promised, "For cases where ministry allocation is unclear, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will take charge of reviewing and processing them collectively, and we will also spare no support for the manpower needed by the Comprehensive Support Center."