Korean Air "In Response to Entry Authorities' Request"
Likely Retaliation Measures Including Visa Restrictions and Yellow Card Sanctions
It has been confirmed that China requires foreigners boarding flights from Korea arriving at Dalian Airport to wear white badges.
According to Yonhap News on the 9th, local media such as Huanqiu Shibao reported that a netizen recently posted on social networking services (SNS) that "Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport distributed white badges to Korean arrivals," along with related videos. The netizen stated, "As the plane was about to land, flight attendants handed out badges individually to Korean passengers and guided them to undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at a separate arrival passage." The flight was confirmed to be operated by Korean Air.
Korean Air flight attendants are distributing white passes to passengers on board. [Photo by Yonhap News]
In response, Bongmyeon Newspaper inquired at Zhoushuizi Airport on the 8th and received the answer, "We are only responsible for landing guidance; badge distribution is handled by the airline, and PCR testing is managed by customs." It was also reported that customs said, "The relevant personnel have left work and cannot provide answers." However, contrary to their stance, Korean Air told Bongmyeon Newspaper, "We do not have the authority to require wearing badges," adding, "This is a request from the immigration authorities." Korean Air further stated, "The white badges are distributed not only to Koreans but to all foreign nationals entering China."
A Korean Air official in China told Yonhap News, "Since the 3rd, all flights from Korea arriving in Dalian, including those with Chinese nationals, require foreign passengers to wear badges around their necks," adding, "This was requested by local customs, and the badges are produced and distributed by customs."
This measure by Dalian Airport is being analyzed as retaliation against the South Korean government's restriction on issuing short-term visas to China and the requirement for arrivals from China to wear yellow cards around their necks.
As part of strengthening quarantine measures for arrivals from China, the South Korean government restricted the issuance of short-term visas to China from the 2nd to the 31st of last month and extended this measure until the end of this month on the 27th of last month. In response, the Chinese government took retaliatory measures such as suspending the issuance of short-term visas for Koreans traveling to China.
On the 12th of last month, Xing Haiming, the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, said, "We are very concerned and regretful about the visa turmoil between China and Korea and the unfair and discriminatory treatment Chinese nationals have experienced during the entry process into (South) Korea." The "unfair and discriminatory treatment" appears to refer to South Korean quarantine authorities requiring arrivals from China to wear yellow cards around their necks at the airport.
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