"Yellow Card Issued at Korean Airport... Paid Quarantine and PCR Testing Sparks Outrage in China"

China Suspends Visa Issuance to South Korean Nationals
"Korea's Discriminatory Treatment" Experiences Spark Controversy

A post on Chinese social networking services (SNS) about discriminatory treatment in Korea is gaining attention. Some entrants point out that the fact that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and quarantine are paid, as well as inadequate quarantine facilities and measures such as wearing yellow cards, are discriminatory. (Photo by Weibo)

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] As China has completely suspended the issuance of short-term visas for Chinese travel to Korean nationals, the recent 'entry experience' of Chinese visitors to Korea has become a controversy. They complained that Korean authorities discriminately required only arrivals from China to wear yellow cards around their necks and also had to pay for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

According to local media such as Hongxing Xinwen (紅星新聞) on the 10th, a netizen who recently visited Korea posted on China's social networking service (SNS), "As soon as I got off the plane, I was issued a yellow card and was required to wear it around my neck," and pointed out, "The luggage and PCR test results of arrivals from China were collected and they were made to stay separately."

Another Chinese person wrote, "I paid 434 yuan (about 80,000 KRW) out of pocket for the nucleic acid test when entering Korea," and another arrival who was quarantined due to a positive result explained, "There were no beds, tables, or chairs in the space where Chinese people stayed," adding, "The daily accommodation and meal cost was 900 yuan, and I paid a total of 6,300 yuan for the 7-day quarantine." This news has become a hot topic locally, fueling criticism of the Korean side's response.

However, China has also imposed quarantine on overseas arrivals, including those from Korea, requiring them to bear quarantine costs of up to several million won. In particular, even arrivals confirmed negative after PCR tests were strictly quarantined for more than three weeks, and unsanitary facilities or poor meals in some areas have often been controversial. Many arrivals have protested due to waiting on the road for nearly half a day before moving to quarantine facilities immediately after arrival or being unable to leave enclosed buses.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Chinese Embassy in Korea announced through its official WeChat account, a Chinese SNS, that "According to domestic Chinese directives, from today, the Chinese Embassy and Consulate General in Korea will suspend the issuance of short-term visas for Korean nationals visiting China for visits, commercial trade, tourism, medical treatment, and general personal matters." It added, "This matter will be adjusted depending on the cancellation of Korea's discriminatory entry restrictions against China." This is interpreted as a measure in response to the Korean government's mandatory COVID-19 testing before and after entry for arrivals from China, as well as restrictions on issuing short-term visas to China and additional flights to Korea.