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South Korea reopens to fully vaccinated foreigners without quarantine

SEOUL — South Korea is allowing fully vaccinated travelers from all countries to enter without quarantine starting Friday, as the country relaxes coronavirus restrictions.

International travelers who have been fully vaccinated and registered their vaccination status can now enter the country without a quarantine period of seven days. A negative coronavirus test is still required for entry.

South Korea partially eased the quarantine mandate for vaccinated arrivals in 2021 but tightened it back in December, citing concerns about the highly contagious omicron variant.

Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to Seoul and the rest of South Korea, said its passenger traffic on Friday is set to surpass 20,000 for the first time in nearly two years. Daily traffic at the airport, one of the busiest in Asia, used to be 200,000 a day on average but sunk to as low as 3,000 after the pandemic restrictions were imposed.

On Friday morning, airport workers tore down quarantine facilities for international travelers, including a designated bus station, as passengers from overseas are now allowed to take regular public transportation.

South Korea coronavirus infection rate soars with omicron surge

South Korean health authorities said the quarantine mandate can be brought back depending on the coronavirus situation. “We will continue to monitor virus risks of each country in case of situations like emergence of a new variant of concern, and we will designate and manage the range of country-based quarantine exemption in a flexible manner,” said Jeong Eun Kyeong, commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

South Korea started imposing border restrictions in March 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The measures contributed to the success of the country in responding to the virus but faced criticism from citizens returning home and foreign visitors coming for business and other purposes.

With the start of the quarantine waiver, a surge in demand has been reported by South Korean airlines and travel agencies. However, experts said international travel is not expected to immediately bounce back, given remaining coronavirus risks and a recent surge in jet fuel prices. For most of the pandemic, the Asian nation managed to keep the virus at bay without a major lockdown through widespread testing and aggressive contact tracing.

Such public health measures were partially rolled back earlier this year amid the strong vaccination rate in South Korea. There was then a surge in the highly contagious and less fatal omicron variant that drove infections to a record level. Citing the burden on health and administrative workers, Seoul health authorities changed their virus strategy to focus resources on vulnerable patients.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention places South Korea in its highest coronavirus risk category of Level 4, used for destinations that have an incidence rate of more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.

In recent weeks, South Korea has been reporting one of the highest caseloads per capita in the world but keeping death rates relatively low. Starting next week, South Korea will loosen its social distancing measures, raising the cap on social gatherings from eight to 10 people and easing the curfew on restaurants and other indoor spaces to until midnight, health authorities said Friday.

Coronavirus: What you need to know

Covid isolation guidelines: Americans who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to routinely stay home from work and school for five days under new guidance planned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The change has raised concerns among medically vulnerable people .

New coronavirus variant: The United States is in the throes of another covid-19 uptick and coronavirus samples detected in wastewater suggests infections could be as rampant as they were last winter. JN.1, the new dominant variant , appears to be especially adept at infecting those who have been vaccinated or previously infected. Here’s how this covid surge compares with earlier spikes .

Latest coronavirus booster: The CDC recommends that anyone 6 months or older gets an updated coronavirus shot , but the vaccine rollout has seen some hiccups , especially for children . Here’s what you need to know about the latest coronavirus vaccines , including when you should get it.

After two years, South Korea is ready to let tourists in without quarantine

Mar 21, 2022 • 3 min read

South Korea is easing travel restrictions on April 1 © Manfred Gottschalk / Getty Images

Despite a record number of COVID-19 infections, South Korea is pushing ahead with plans to reopen the country to travelers, ending the quarantine requirement for people who have been vaccinated against the virus.

South Korea's cultural output has crossed borders in recent years through K-Pop groups like BTS, Blackpink and SuperM; the history-making TV show Squid Game ( which broke Netflix's viewing records in 2021); and the multi-Oscar winning movie Parasite .

But since the beginning of the pandemic its borders have essentially been closed to tourists, with strict entry rules that have only recently started to ease. In February, the government reduced the quarantine period from 10 to seven days and starting April 1, quarantine will be scraped entirely for vaccinated arrivals.

When will South Korea open borders for tourists in 2022?

Starting April 1 , international   tourists will be able to visit South Korea without quarantine — provided they are vaccinated against COVID-19. This applies to visitors from most countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and more. The only exceptions are visitors from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Myanmar, who will continue to be required to quarantine for seven days.

South Korea's new entry rules

If you plan to visit South Korea this year, you will be required to have received a booster shot to bypass quarantine if more than 180 days have passed since your last recommended dose of a primary vaccine schedule. That is 180 days after your second shot or 180 days after the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

You'll also be required to apply for a QR code which will then be scanned at immigration, according to the tourism board . You can get that through South Korea's Q-Code system by entering information such as your passport number, departure country, airline, phone number and vaccine records.

What restrictions are in place in South Korea?

South Korea was once one of the world's pandemic success stories, taking some of the toughest approaches against the virus than any other country. But now South Korea is battling record numbers of new cases, hospitaizations and deaths.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the highly infectious Omicron variant was driving the record wave of infections. According to the New York Times , the country recorded its highest number of daily infections since the pandemic began on March 17. 

Keen to fend off the latest wave, the government continues to require people to wear facemasks in indoor and outdoor public places and on public transport. But other restrictions have been suspended such as the need to present proof of vaccination to enter places like restaurants, cinemas and theaters.

The government has also relaxed social distancing measures and is set to ease curfew limits in the coming weeks. Currently, venues like restaurants, cinemas, karaoke rooms and bathhouses must close at 11 pm under the current guidelines.

You might also like: Canada to end pre-arrival COVID-19 test requirement for fully vaccinated travelers New Zealand is opening borders ahead of schedule in April and May How to interpret the CDC's COVID-19 travel advisories

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South Korea reopens to overseas tourists after two years

Foreign travelers can apply for a 90-day visa for group or individual tours

SEOUL -- South Korea opened up to foreign tourists on Wednesday, issuing short-term travel visas for the first time in two years now that it has lifted most COVID-related restrictions for residents.

Foreign tourists can apply for C-3 visas, which will allow them to enter the country on group or individual tours, to visit relatives, or to do business. Tourists with the visa can stay in the country for up to 90 days.

Japan slowly opens up to foreign tourists: 5 things to know

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South Korea to Welcome Vaccinated Tourists April 1 — What to Know

Travelers will not have to quarantine upon arrival.

South Korea will become the latest country to welcome international tourists next month when the country eliminates quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers.

Starting April 1, the country will welcome international travelers who have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the Korea Tourism Organization . Travelers who received the final dose of their initial vaccine series more than 180 days ago must get a booster shot.

Travelers who qualify as vaccinated will be exempt from the previous requirement to quarantine upon arrival.

Visitors will have to fill out a Q-CODE form with their passport information, vaccine record, and travel information before arriving in South Korea and will receive a QR code to scan.

While South Korea has remained closed to much of the world, the country previously opened Vaccinated Travel Lanes with Singapore for quarantine-free travel. In that case, vaccinated travelers had to arrive with a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 48 hours of their departure, take another PCR test six to seven days after arrival, and purchase travel insurance, according to the tourism organization .

South Korea may be preparing to open its borders to the world, however the country is experiencing its worst coronavirus surge with record pandemic-related deaths recorded due to the omicron variant. On Tuesday, the country saw more than 290 deaths from the virus and had more than 1,190 patients in serious or critical conditions, The Associated Press reported .

Currently, South Korea leads the rest of the world in average daily new infections, Reuters reported , "accounting for one in every 5 infections reported worldwide each day."

But the country has an extremely high vaccination rate and more than 62% of people have received a booster shot, according to the AP.

South Korea joins countries all around the world in easing border restrictions. Last month, Australia began welcoming international tourists and New Zealand plans to open its borders to the world in May. And several other countries have done away with pandemic-related border restrictions completely like Ireland and Iceland .

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram .

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South Korea Travel Restrictions

Traveler's COVID-19 vaccination status

Traveling from the United States to South Korea

Open for vaccinated visitors

COVID-19 testing

Not required

Not required for vaccinated visitors

Restaurants

Not required in public spaces and public transportation.

South Korea entry details and exceptions

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Can I travel to South Korea from the United States?

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter South Korea.

Can I travel to South Korea if I am vaccinated?

Fully vaccinated visitors from the United States can enter South Korea without restrictions.

Can I travel to South Korea without being vaccinated?

Unvaccinated visitors from the United States can enter South Korea without restrictions.

Do I need a COVID test to enter South Korea?

Visitors from the United States are not required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test or antigen result upon entering South Korea.

Can I travel to South Korea without quarantine?

Travelers from the United States are not required to quarantine.

Do I need to wear a mask in South Korea?

Mask usage in South Korea is not required in public spaces and public transportation.

Are the restaurants and bars open in South Korea?

Restaurants in South Korea are open. Bars in South Korea are .

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South Korea

Travel Advisory July 24, 2023

South korea - level 1: exercise normal precautions.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.

Exercise normal precautions in South Korea.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to South Korea.

If you decide to travel to South Korea:

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.   
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .   
• Review the  Country Security Report  for South Korea.   
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.   
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .    

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No – From April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, the Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) is not required for US citizens traveling for short-term business or tourism purposes.

Embassies and Consulates

U.s. embassy seoul.

188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03141, Korea Telephone: +(82) (2) 397-4114 (from within Korea, dial 02-397-4114)  DSN:721-4114 Fax: +(82) (2) 397-4101 Email:  [email protected]

U.S. Consulate in Busan

Lotte Gold Rose Building #612, Jungang-daero 993, Jin-gu Busan 47209, Korea Telephone: (+82) 51-863-0731 Email:  [email protected]

The Embassy and Consulate are closed on weekends and on  American and Korean holidays .  Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +82 (2) 397-4114.

Destination Description

Learn about the U.S. relationship to countries around the world.

Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements

• You must have a valid U.S. passport to enter Korea. From April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, the  Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA)  is not required for US citizens for stays of 90 days or less that are for tourism or business purposes.
• Visa required for all other purposes, including employment, teaching English, and for stays longer than 90 days.

Exceeding your authorized stay or not possessing a valid visa may result in detention and fines.

• In the event of an overstay, apply for a visa extension from the  Korea Immigration Service (KIS)  before attempting to leave the country. Also consult with KIS regarding changes in visa category.

Military Personnel/DOD and their families on orders:

• Consult  DOD Foreign Clearance Guide , and follow all instructions.
• Enter Korea with DOD identification and travel orders.
• Do not transit other countries such as China without a passport and appropriate visas.
• Family Members/Dependents of Military Personnel/DOD on orders must present upon arrival passports valid for at least six months .

U.S. Government Executive Branch personnel on official business and DOD personnel assigned to the U.S. Embassy  (Including family members/dependents):

• Employes assigned to Mission Korea should enter Korea with a diplomatic or official passport and a diplomatic or official Korean visa obtained through their sponsoring agency.  Check with your sponsoring agency about other requirements. 
• TDY visitors traveling to Korea for up to 90 days on diplomatic or official passports do  not  require Korean visas and do  not  require a K-ETA. TDY visitors must obtain country clearance using  Department of State's eCC system  or  DOD APACS system .

HIV/AIDS Restriction:  The Department of State is unaware of any such entry restrictions for visitors or foreign residents in Korea.

• Visit the  Embassy of Korea  website for current visa information. Please read our  Customs Information page .

COVID-19 Requirements :

• There are no COVID-related entry requirements for U.S. citizens.
• Travel regulations and restrictions are subject to change, sometimes with little notice. You should review the information available on your nearest Korean Embassy or Consulate’s webpage before traveling.

Safety and Security

Public Demonstrations:  Demonstrations and rallies are common in South Korea, particularly near the U.S. Embassy, Seoul City Hall, and areas surrounding military installations. You should avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or rallies. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.

North Korea (The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK):  An armistice agreement, monitored by the United Nations, has maintained general peace on the Korean peninsula since 1953. Tensions occasionally flare up because of provocative acts by North Korea, including ballistic missile and nuclear tests and limited armed incursions into ROK-held territory. Some provocations have escalated into geographically limited skirmishes. South Korea routinely conducts military training exercises and civil defense drills. North Korea often issues strongly-worded and threatening messages, frequently in connection with these exercises. Please see our  Fact Sheet on North Korea .

Weather-related Events:  Heavy rains and flooding may occur during the June - August monsoon season or the May - November typhoon season. See general information about natural disaster preparedness at the U.S.  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)  website.

Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program  ( STEP ):  To receive security messages by email and make it easier to locate you in an emergency, register in STEP. 

If the Embassy becomes aware of any specific and credible threat to the safety and security of U.S. citizens, we will inform you through our website, social media, and email.

Crime:  For most visitors, South Korea remains a very safe country. Common crimes occur more frequently in major metropolitan areas, tourist sites, and crowded markets.

• Take routine safety precautions.
• Pay attention to your surroundings.
• Report any concerns to local police.

Violent crime is not common; however, remain vigilant:

• Exercise caution in crowded entertainment, nightlife, and shopping districts.
• If traveling at night, consider traveling in groups.
• Use legitimate taxis or public transportation only.

Victims of Crime:  Call 112 for emergency assistance or to report a crime to local authorities. Call 02-397-4114 to contact the U.S. Embassy. We can:

• Help you find appropriate medical care;
• Assist you in reporting a crime to police;
• Contact relatives or friends on your behalf;
• Explain Korean judicial procedures in general terms;
• Provide an emergency loan for repatriation to the United States and/or limited medical support in cases of destitution;
• Help you find accommodations and flight arrangements to the United States;
• Replace a lost or stolen passport.

Sexual Assault:   The Embassy regularly receives reports of sexual assault from U.S. citizens. Most cases involved young women assaulted by acquaintances they met on social media, dating, or messaging apps. Alcohol is often involved, and Korea’s low overall crime can create a false sense of security.  Specialized hospital units and police are available in South Korea to assist victims, however services in English and responsiveness to the crime are not always consistent. In general, sex crimes are not punished as harshly in South Korea as in the United States and the road to prosecution is a challenging one for victims.

Domestic Violence:  Victim’s assistance resources or battered women’s shelters exist in Seoul and other urban areas but may be limited in rural areas. Most are government administered and require a police referral. Call 112 for emergency assistance or 1366 to reach Korea’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline. Victims may also contact the Embassy, tel. (+82) 2-397-4114.

Lost or Stolen Passports:  If your passport is stolen, file a report at the nearest police station.

Don't buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if widely available.  It is against South Korean law to purchase these goods and against U.S. law to bring them into the United States. The  Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Division in the U.S. Department of Justice  has more information.

Avoid fraud and scams:  See  Department of State  and  FBI  websites for more information.

Tourism:  The tourism industry is generally regulated and rules with regard to best practices and safety inspections are regularly enforced. Hazardous areas/activities are identified with appropriate signage and professional staff is typically on hand in support of organized activities. In the event of an injury, appropriate medical treatment is widely available throughout the country. Outside of a major metropolitan center, it may take more time for first responders and medical professionals to stabilize a patient and provide life-saving assistance. U.S. citizens are encouraged to purchase medical evacuation insurance. See our webpage for more information on  insurance providers for overseas coverage .

Local Laws & Special Circumstances

Criminal Penalties:  While in Korea, you are subject to local laws. If you violate Korean laws, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Be aware that:

• Immigration violations can lead to arrest, fines, and deportation.
• There is little tolerance for illegal drugs.
• If you mail illegal drugs to/ from Korea, you will be prosecuted.
• Commercial disputes may lead to criminal charges being filed under local laws.

Be aware that some crimes are prosecutable in the United States, regardless of local law. For examples, see our website on  crimes against minors abroad  and the  Department of Justice  website.

Arrest Notification:  If you are arrested or detained, ask officials to notify the Embassy. See our  webpage  for further information.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Dual Nationality and Military Conscription:  Dual national males (including U.S. service members) may be subject to compulsory military service. If you have family ties to South Korea, consult the nearest Korean Embassy or Consulate or the  Korean Military Manpower Administration  regarding potential citizenship obligations  before entering South Korea .

Passport Seizures and Exit Bans:  If you are involved in a criminal investigation or commercial dispute, authorities may seize your passport and/or block your departure. While we may reissue a passport, we cannot lift an exit ban.

Exit Permits:  Exit permits are not generally required. However, if a parent requests a travel restriction on his/her child, Korean authorities may prevent that child from departing even when traveling with the other parent. As of June 1, 2020, foreigners who are long-term residents of the ROK are required to obtain a re-entry permit four business days prior to departure from Korea. The permits are available online through an e-application at the  www.hikorea.go.kr  website.

International Child Abduction:  See our website for information related to the  prevention of international child abduction . 

Working in South Korea:  If working, including teaching or modeling, you must enter with the appropriate work visa. It is not possible to change your visa status without leaving the country. If you begin work without the appropriate visa, you may be arrested, fined, and/or deported. If you are working without a valid work permit and get into a contractual dispute with your employer, you have little legal recourse.

Students:  See our  Students Abroad  page and  FBI travel tips .

Women Travelers:  See our travel tips for  Women Travelers .

ROK National Security Law:  Authorities may detain, arrest, and imprison persons believed to have committed acts intended to endanger the “security of the state,” including statements deemed to praise the political system and/or officials of the DPRK. 

Customs Regulations: There is strict enforcement of regulations on importing and exporting items such as firearms, narcotics and prescription drugs, non-prescription health supplements, radio equipment, and gold. Importation of materials deemed to be obscene, subversive, or harmful to the public peace is also restricted.

• Amphetamines are illegal in Korea. Do not bring amphetamines or other prescription narcotics into the country without obtaining advance permission in writing from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. See the  U.S. Embassy Seoul, Health Information page .
• Traveling with Pets: See  Korea’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency  website.

See the  Korean Customs Regulations website for complete information.

LGBTI Travelers:  Consensual same-sex sexual activity is not criminalized. Korea is a conservative country in regards to LGBTI issues. However, there are an increasing number of LGBTI-oriented clubs, festivals and NGOs advocating for LGBTI issues. The ROK National Human Rights Commission Act prohibits discrimination against individuals because of their sexual orientation, but there are no laws specifying punishment for persons found to have discriminated on this basis. Same-sex marriages are not recognized. Korean citizens can legally change their gender identity.

See   our  LGBTI Travel Information  page and section 6 of the  Department of State's Human Rights report  for further details.

Mobility Issues:  Korean law mandates access to transportation, communication, and public buildings. Cross walks typically have audio and visual signals. Older buildings and streets are generally less accessible than modern ones. Metro cars and buses in Seoul offer priority seating for the disabled and most metro stations have elevators. Metro platforms include Korean Braille information. Contact individual bus companies and subway associations for specific information. Foreign residents are eligible for disability assistance from local ward offices; assistance varies by ward.

Quality of Care : Western-style medical facilities are available in most large cities. However, not all doctors and staff, are proficient in English. A  list of hospitals  and medical specialists who speak English is available on our website. For emergency ambulance service dial 119. Ambulance services are widely available. For information on medical evacuation from South Korea, please see the State Department’s brochure on  Air Ambulance/MedEvac/Medical Escort Providers . 

We do not pay medical bills.  Be aware that U.S. Medicare does not apply overseas. Verify your health insurance coverage before traveling overseas. See our webpage for information on  insurance providers for overseas coverage . In most cases, health care providers will require payment in advance of treatment or will not release a patient until hospital bills are paid. We strongly recommend supplemental insurance to include coverage for medical evacuation.

Medication:  Carry prescription medication in original packaging, along with your doctor’s prescription. Most prescription medications, except psychotropic types, can be obtained at Korean pharmacies (brand names often differ). Local pharmacies will require a prescription from a Korean doctor.

Update  vaccinations  recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

For further health information go to:

• World Health Organization
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC)

Travel and Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety:  Roads are well-paved, traffic signals functional, and most drivers comply with basic traffic laws. South Korea has a significantly higher traffic fatality rate than the United States. Causes of accidents include excessive speed, frequent lane changes without signaling, running red lights, aggressive bus drivers, and weaving motorcyclists. It is recommended that you photo document any traffic accidents.

Be aware that motorcyclists may drive on sidewalks, and drivers do not always yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks.

Traffic Laws include:

• International driving permit (or ROK license) is required for all drivers.
• Left-hand turns prohibited except with green arrow.
• Seat belts and car seats are mandatory.
• Motorcycle passengers must wear helmets.
• Automobile drivers are presumed to have some fault in accidents involving pedestrians.
• Expect long waits at police stations while police investigate any incidents.
• Police may take your passport or detain you during an investigation.
• Even if negligence is not proven, criminal charges may be filed.
• Blood-alcohol content of 0.03% or higher is considered legally intoxicated.
• Police regularly set up DUI checkpoints. Drivers are required to submit to breathalyzer tests; refusal can result in cancellation of your license.

For information about driver's permits, vehicle inspection, road tax, and mandatory insurance, refer to our  Road Safety page . You may also visit the  Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) website.

AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT:  The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of the Republic of Korea's Civil Aviation Authority as being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of the ROK's air carrier operations. Further information may be found on the  FAA's Safety Assessment Page .

Maritime Travel:  Mariners planning travel to South Korea should check for U.S. maritime advisories and alerts at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s  Maritime Security Communications with Industry Web Portal . Information may also be posted to the  U.S. Coast Guard homeport website  and as a broadcast warning on the  National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s website .

For additional travel information

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Call us in Washington, D.C. at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from all other countries) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• See the  State Department’s travel website  for the  Worldwide Caution  and  Travel Advisories .
• Follow us on  Twitter  and  Facebook .
• See  traveling safely abroad  for useful travel tips.

South Korea was cited in the State Department’s 2022 Annual Report to Congress on International Child Abduction for demonstrating a pattern of non-compliance with respect to international parental child abduction. Review information about International Parental Child Abduction in  South Korea.  For additional IPCA-related information, please see the  International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act ( ICAPRA )  report.

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After Your Trip

There are no notices currently in effect for South Korea.

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Check the vaccines and medicines list and visit your doctor at least a month before your trip to get vaccines or medicines you may need. If you or your doctor need help finding a location that provides certain vaccines or medicines, visit the Find a Clinic page.

Routine vaccines

Recommendations.

Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Some of these vaccines include

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
• Flu (influenza)
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)

Immunization schedules

All eligible travelers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. Please see  Your COVID-19 Vaccination  for more information. 

COVID-19 vaccine

Hepatitis A

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to South Korea.

Infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. The dose does not count toward the routine 2-dose series.

Travelers allergic to a vaccine component or who are younger than 6 months should receive a single dose of immune globulin, which provides effective protection for up to 2 months depending on dosage given.

Unvaccinated travelers who are over 40 years old, immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions planning to depart to a risk area in less than 2 weeks should get the initial dose of vaccine and at the same appointment receive immune globulin.

Hepatitis A - CDC Yellow Book

Dosing info - Hep A

Hepatitis B

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers younger than 60 years old traveling to South Korea. Unvaccinated travelers 60 years and older may get vaccinated before traveling to South Korea.

Hepatitis B - CDC Yellow Book

Dosing info - Hep B

Japanese Encephalitis

Recommended for travelers who

• Are moving to an area with Japanese encephalitis to live
• Spend long periods of time, such as a month or more, in areas with Japanese encephalitis
• Frequently travel to areas with Japanese encephalitis

Consider vaccination for travelers

• Spending less than a month in areas with Japanese encephalitis but will be doing activities that increase risk of infection, such as visiting rural areas, hiking or camping, or staying in places without air conditioning, screens, or bed nets
• Going to areas with Japanese encephalitis who are uncertain of their activities or how long they will be there

Not recommended for travelers planning short-term travel to urban areas or travel to areas with no clear Japanese encephalitis season. 

Japanese encephalitis - CDC Yellow Book

Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine for US Children

CDC recommends that travelers going to certain areas of South Korea take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Depending on the medicine you take, you will need to start taking this medicine multiple days before your trip, as well as during and after your trip. Talk to your doctor about which malaria medication you should take.

Find  country-specific information  about malaria.

Malaria - CDC Yellow Book

Considerations when choosing a drug for malaria prophylaxis (CDC Yellow Book)

Malaria information for South Korea.

Cases of measles are on the rise worldwide. Travelers are at risk of measles if they have not been fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure, or have not had measles in the past, and travel internationally to areas where measles is spreading.

All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, including an early dose for infants 6–11 months, according to  CDC’s measles vaccination recommendations for international travel .

Measles (Rubeola) - CDC Yellow Book

South Korea is free of dog rabies. However, rabies may still be present in wildlife species, particularly bats. CDC recommends rabies vaccination before travel only for people working directly with wildlife. These people may include veterinarians, animal handlers, field biologists, or laboratory workers working with specimens from mammalian species.

Rabies - CDC Yellow Book

Tick-borne Encephalitis

Avoid bug bites

Learn more about tick-borne encephalitis at your destination .

Tick-borne Encephalitis - CDC Yellow Book

Recommended for most travelers, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.

Typhoid - CDC Yellow Book

Dosing info - Typhoid

Yellow Fever

Required if traveling from a country with risk of YF virus transmission and ≥1 year of age. 1

Yellow Fever - CDC Yellow Book

Avoid contaminated water

Leptospirosis

How most people get sick (most common modes of transmission)

• Touching urine or other body fluids from an animal infected with leptospirosis
• Swimming or wading in urine-contaminated fresh water, or contact with urine-contaminated mud
• Drinking water or eating food contaminated with animal urine
• Avoid contaminated water and soil

Clinical Guidance

Airborne & droplet, avian/bird flu.

• Being around, touching, or working with infected poultry, such as visiting poultry farms or live-animal markets
• Avoid domestic and wild poultry
• Breathing in air or accidentally eating food contaminated with the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents
• Bite from an infected rodent
• Less commonly, being around someone sick with hantavirus (only occurs with Andes virus)
• Avoid rodents and areas where they live
• Avoid sick people

Tuberculosis (TB)

• Breathe in TB bacteria that is in the air from an infected and contagious person coughing, speaking, or singing.

Learn actions you can take to stay healthy and safe on your trip. Vaccines cannot protect you from many diseases in South Korea, so your behaviors are important.

Eat and drink safely

Food and water standards around the world vary based on the destination. Standards may also differ within a country and risk may change depending on activity type (e.g., hiking versus business trip). You can learn more about safe food and drink choices when traveling by accessing the resources below.

• Choose Safe Food and Drinks When Traveling
• Water Treatment Options When Hiking, Camping or Traveling
• Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene | Healthy Water
• Avoid Contaminated Water During Travel

You can also visit the  Department of State Country Information Pages  for additional information about food and water safety.

Prevent bug bites

Although South Korea is an industrialized country, bug bites here can still spread diseases. Just as you would in the United States, try to avoid bug bites while spending time outside or in wooded areas.

What can I do to prevent bug bites?

• Cover exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats.
• Use an appropriate insect repellent (see below).
• Consider using permethrin-treated clothing and gear if spending a lot of time outside. Do not use permethrin directly on skin.

What type of insect repellent should I use?

• FOR PROTECTION AGAINST TICKS AND MOSQUITOES: Use a repellent that contains 20% or more DEET for protection that lasts up to several hours.
• Picaridin (also known as KBR 3023, Bayrepel, and icaridin)
• Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD)
• 2-undecanone
• Always use insect repellent as directed.

What should I do if I am bitten by bugs?

• Avoid scratching bug bites, and apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to reduce the itching.
• Check your entire body for ticks after outdoor activity. Be sure to remove ticks properly.

What can I do to avoid bed bugs?

Although bed bugs do not carry disease, they are an annoyance. See our information page about avoiding bug bites for some easy tips to avoid them. For more information on bed bugs, see Bed Bugs .

For more detailed information on avoiding bug bites, see Avoid Bug Bites .

Stay safe outdoors

If your travel plans in South Korea include outdoor activities, take these steps to stay safe and healthy during your trip:

• Stay alert to changing weather conditions and adjust your plans if conditions become unsafe.
• Prepare for activities by wearing the right clothes and packing protective items, such as bug spray, sunscreen, and a basic first aid kit.
• Consider learning basic first aid and CPR before travel. Bring a travel health kit with items appropriate for your activities.
• If you are outside for many hours in the heat, eat salty snacks and drink water to stay hydrated and replace salt lost through sweating.
• Protect yourself from UV radiation : use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, wear protective clothing, and seek shade during the hottest time of day (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).
• Be especially careful during summer months and at high elevation. Because sunlight reflects off snow, sand, and water, sun exposure may be increased during activities like skiing, swimming, and sailing.
• Very cold temperatures can be dangerous. Dress in layers and cover heads, hands, and feet properly if you are visiting a cold location.

Stay safe around water

• Swim only in designated swimming areas. Obey lifeguards and warning flags on beaches.
• Do not dive into shallow water.
• Avoid swallowing water when swimming. Untreated water can carry germs that make you sick.
• Practice safe boating—follow all boating safety laws, do not drink alcohol if you are driving a boat, and always wear a life jacket.

Keep away from animals

Most animals avoid people, but they may attack if they feel threatened, are protecting their young or territory, or if they are injured or ill. Animal bites and scratches can lead to serious diseases such as rabies.

Follow these tips to protect yourself:

• Do not touch or feed any animals you do not know.
• Do not allow animals to lick open wounds, and do not get animal saliva in your eyes or mouth.
• Avoid rodents and their urine and feces.
• Traveling pets should be supervised closely and not allowed to come in contact with local animals.
• If you wake in a room with a bat, seek medical care immediately.  Bat bites may be hard to see.

All animals can pose a threat, but be extra careful around dogs, bats, monkeys, sea animals such as jellyfish, and snakes. If you are bitten or scratched by an animal, immediately:

• Wash the wound with soap and clean water.
• Go to a doctor right away.
• Tell your doctor about your injury when you get back to the United States.

Reduce your exposure to germs

Follow these tips to avoid getting sick or spreading illness to others while traveling:

• Wash your hands often, especially before eating.
• If soap and water aren’t available, clean hands with hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol).
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you need to touch your face, make sure your hands are clean.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Try to avoid contact with people who are sick.
• If you are sick, stay home or in your hotel room, unless you need medical care.

Avoid sharing body fluids

Diseases can be spread through body fluids, such as saliva, blood, vomit, and semen.

Protect yourself:

• Use latex condoms correctly.
• Do not inject drugs.
• Limit alcohol consumption. People take more risks when intoxicated.
• Do not share needles or any devices that can break the skin. That includes needles for tattoos, piercings, and acupuncture.
• If you receive medical or dental care, make sure the equipment is disinfected or sanitized.

Know how to get medical care while traveling

Plan for how you will get health care during your trip, should the need arise:

• Carry a list of local doctors and hospitals at your destination.
• Review your health insurance plan to determine what medical services it would cover during your trip. Consider purchasing travel health and medical evacuation insurance for things your regular insurance will not cover.
• Carry a card that identifies, in the local language, your blood type, chronic conditions or serious allergies, and the generic names of any medicines you take.
• Bring copies of your prescriptions for medicine and for eye glasses and contact lenses.
• Some prescription drugs may be illegal in other countries. Call South Korea’s embassy to verify that all of your prescription(s) are legal to bring with you.
• Bring all the medicines (including over-the-counter medicines) you think you might need during your trip, including extra in case of travel delays. Ask your doctor to help you get prescriptions filled early if you need to.

Many foreign hospitals and clinics are accredited by the Joint Commission International. A list of accredited facilities is available at their website ( www.jointcommissioninternational.org ).

Malaria is a risk in some parts of South Korea. If you are going to a risk area, fill your malaria prescription before you leave, and take enough with you for the entire length of your trip. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking the pills; some need to be started before you leave.

Select safe transportation

Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of healthy US citizens in foreign countries.

Be smart when you are traveling on foot.

• Use sidewalks and marked crosswalks.
• Pay attention to the traffic around you, especially in crowded areas.
• Remember, people on foot do not always have the right of way in other countries.

Riding/Driving

Choose a safe vehicle.

• Choose official taxis or public transportation, such as trains and buses.
• Make sure there are seatbelts.
• Avoid overcrowded, overloaded, top-heavy buses and minivans.
• Avoid riding on motorcycles or motorbikes, especially motorbike taxis. (Many crashes are caused by inexperienced motorbike drivers.)
• Choose newer vehicles—they may have more safety features, such as airbags, and be more reliable.
• Choose larger vehicles, which may provide more protection in crashes.

Think about the driver.

• Do not drive after drinking alcohol or ride with someone who has been drinking.
• Consider hiring a licensed, trained driver familiar with the area.
• Arrange payment before departing.

Follow basic safety tips.

• Wear a seatbelt at all times.
• Sit in the back seat of cars and taxis.
• When on motorbikes or bicycles, always wear a helmet. (Bring a helmet from home, if needed.)
• Do not use a cell phone or text while driving (illegal in many countries).
• Travel during daylight hours only, especially in rural areas.
• If you choose to drive a vehicle in South Korea, learn the local traffic laws and have the proper paperwork.
• Get any driving permits and insurance you may need. Get an International Driving Permit (IDP). Carry the IDP and a US-issued driver's license at all times.
• Check with your auto insurance policy's international coverage, and get more coverage if needed. Make sure you have liability insurance.
• Avoid using local, unscheduled aircraft.
• If possible, fly on larger planes (more than 30 seats); larger airplanes are more likely to have regular safety inspections.
• Try to schedule flights during daylight hours and in good weather.

Helpful Resources

Road Safety Overseas (Information from the US Department of State): Includes tips on driving in other countries, International Driving Permits, auto insurance, and other resources.

The Association for International Road Travel has country-specific Road Travel Reports available for most countries for a minimal fee.

Maintain personal security

Use the same common sense traveling overseas that you would at home, and always stay alert and aware of your surroundings.

Before you leave

• Research your destination(s), including local laws, customs, and culture.
• Monitor travel advisories and alerts and read travel tips from the US Department of State.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) .
• Leave a copy of your itinerary, contact information, credit cards, and passport with someone at home.
• Pack as light as possible, and leave at home any item you could not replace.

While at your destination(s)

• Carry contact information for the nearest US embassy or consulate .
• Carry a photocopy of your passport and entry stamp; leave the actual passport securely in your hotel.
• Follow all local laws and social customs.
• Do not wear expensive clothing or jewelry.
• Always keep hotel doors locked, and store valuables in secure areas.
• If possible, choose hotel rooms between the 2nd and 6th floors.

Healthy Travel Packing List

Use the Healthy Travel Packing List for South Korea for a list of health-related items to consider packing for your trip. Talk to your doctor about which items are most important for you.

Why does CDC recommend packing these health-related items?

It’s best to be prepared to prevent and treat common illnesses and injuries. Some supplies and medicines may be difficult to find at your destination, may have different names, or may have different ingredients than what you normally use.

If you are not feeling well after your trip, you may need to see a doctor. If you need help finding a travel medicine specialist, see Find a Clinic . Be sure to tell your doctor about your travel, including where you went and what you did on your trip. Also tell your doctor if you were bitten or scratched by an animal while traveling.

If your doctor prescribed antimalarial medicine for your trip, keep taking the rest of your pills after you return home. If you stop taking your medicine too soon, you could still get sick.

Malaria is always a serious disease and may be a deadly illness. If you become ill with a fever either while traveling in a malaria-risk area or after you return home (for up to 1 year), you should seek immediate medical attention and should tell the doctor about your travel history.

For more information on what to do if you are sick after your trip, see Getting Sick after Travel .

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South Korea Is Open For Tourism And Lifts All Remaining Entry Restrictions

South Korea is open for tourism from April 1.

Also, all Covid-related were lifted on October 1.

Join our   Travel Advice & Support FB Group

Disclaimer: Travel restrictions and governmental regulations can change rapidly and the information below might be outdated within a few hours. Therefore, double-check all information with your embassy or on official websites. Traveling Lifestyle does not take any responsibility for your decision to travel.

South Korea Reopening – Latest Updates

October: South Korea lifts all remaining entry restrictions for international travelers

South Korea has been open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors. Until July, however, unvaccinated visitors were subjected to quarantine upon arrival. Even after eliminating that rule, South Korea continued to require testing on arrival for both vaccinated and unvaccinated tourists. 

Authorities have finally decided to drop mandatory testing upon arrival for all travelers, vaccinated or not, starting October 1.

Also read: 86 Countries That Don’t Require Covid Vaccination Or Test For Travel

September 27 – South Korea lifts mask-wearing restrictions from Sept. 26

South Korea decided Friday to lift all restrictions on outdoor masks starting September 26, according to local news outlets.

The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who decided that participants in outdoor gatherings of 50 or more people, as well as sporting events and concerts, will no longer be required to wear masks starting Monday, Yonhap news agency reported.

“We are clearly overcoming a critical moment of a resurgence in COVID-19,” Han said.

“Going forward, the government will ease low-risk anti-virus measures one by one after receiving feedback from experts,” he added.

Is South Korea open for tourism?

Yes, South Korea is open for tourism and dropped quarantine for fully vaccinated international travelers on April 1.

Who can travel to South Korea?

People from most countries can visit South Korea but different restrictions apply. 

Is South Korea Open to Americans? 

Yes. However, all Americans need to observe pre-departure testing. Find the complete list of requirements at the ROK COVID-19 Portal and the Korean Immigration Service . 

Do visitors need to quarantine upon arrival in South Korea?

EU and Schengen Area visitors will be subject to 14-day mandatory quarantine until April 1. All of them.

The cost of quarantine is around KRW 2,100,000 in total and should be paid in advance.

Once the quarantine period is up, individuals are allowed to move freely around the country.

For the most up-to-date information, please visit the South Korean Ministry of Health website.

South Korea During the Pandemic

With a population of more than 51 million, South Korea is about a sixth the size of the United States but has an incredibly high population density.

Its capital and largest city, Seoul, has a population of more than 9 million, making it larger than New York City. Additionally, with high-speed trains and domestic flights, it’s a tightly linked country. Combined with its proximity to China and the sheer amount of trade between the two countries, many expected South Korea to suffer greatly.

But it hasn’t. Instead, South Korean authorities quickly began a comprehensive testing protocol whenever individuals were found to have symptoms of Covid-19.

Is it safe to visit South Korea now?

Regarding COVID-19, South Korea is a safe place to visit and the spread of the virus is under control. ( CDC.gov ).

What is the current COVID situation in South Korea?

As of today, the country has reported 24,848,184 COVID-19 cases and 28,528 deaths.

Why visit South Korea?

Once a traveler is in South Korea and out of quarantine, life largely looks like it did before the pandemic.

Trains, buses, and domestic flights are all operating at full capacity, and museums, shopping centers, and just about every other amenity one could think of are open to tourists. For those willing or able to wait for two weeks, South Korea is looking like pre-COVID South Korea.

Of course, there are some changes worth noting. Individuals are expected to wear a mask and social distance, and unlike the US, compliance is mandatory.

Not wearing a mask in public will get one in trouble with the authorities, and even before the police arrive will result in considerable consternation from the locals. After all, this is a country that is acutely aware that it is lucky through this whole ordeal precisely because it came together.

For those with the ability and need to go to South Korea, visiting the country can be an incredible experience. In addition to everything else that South Korea has to offer, the reduced stress of being in a country that has largely handled the pandemic will be a relief to many.

You might be interested:

Thank you for keeping this up to date! My friends and I are using the article to measure whether or not we will be able to go to South Korea in April

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South Korea’s New Tourism Campaign With 161 Million Views Online Already

Lebawit Lily Girma , Skift

October 4th, 2021 at 10:45 AM EDT

Show, don't preach — that's what other destinations can glean from Korea's viral campaign.

Lebawit Lily Girma

When Covid hit, South Korea stood out of the pack in its handling of the pandemic, thanks to its past experience in handling the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Its rapid response with drive through testing, tracking and tracing helped to flatten the curve and keep businesses open until late 2020.

Like many countries, however, multiple surges of the virus eventually led to stricter restrictions , though South Korea has still managed to keep its death toll below 3,000. Remaining closed to tourism for over a year resulted in $33.3 billion in lost inbound revenue, or a 45.4 percent drop in contribution to gross domestic product, plus 84,000 jobs lost, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council . While devastating, the impact was lower compared to regional neighbors and at a global level, thanks to the government’s stimulus payments and support of businesses and workers.

But even as a fourth wave hit in recent weeks, the future looks brighter for South Korea’s tourism economy. The population’s full vaccination rate has reached 63 percent so far, and its reopening in September — to an initial 49 visa-free countries — brought 15,500 tourists , of whom 68 percent came from the U.S., followed by Europe.

If Visit Korea ’s newest campaign is any indication, then those tourist numbers are likely to keep rising and drawing more intrepid travelers in the coming months going into 2022. So far, “ Feel the Rhythm of Korea ” — a series of eight videos showcasing the traditional and modern facets of ten Korean destinations to an original soundtrack of K-pop and folk music — has reached 161 million views on Youtube, with numbers continuing to climb for what is possibly the most successful single global tourism recovery campaign to launch since the pandemic.

“Each clip not only shows the existence of tradition and modern, healing, and cultural heritages, but also sensationally shares the distinctive lifestyle of Koreans,” said a release from the Korean Tourism Organization , adding that the campaign is a sequel to last year’s campaign effort, and that the soundtrack was produced by Korea’s renowned hip hop label AOMG and Higher Music. The songs also released on Spotify.

In a clear departure from recent messaging focused on safety and preaching responsible travel, South Korea’s campaign is a clever, energy-packed message for travelers as to what makes the destination stand out from a cultural and outdoor standpoint, whether it’s Seoul’s vibrant fashion-clad streets and residents of all ages, or Korea’s surfing towns and islets contrasting against its rural daily life scenes.

The K-pop music that has become global and a driver of tourism only helps to further cement the campaign’s appeal — a sound that continues to rise in popularity in spite of heightened scrutiny on the genre coming out of the racial reckoning movement in 2020.

Korea might just be on to something when it comes to standing out of the pack as long-haul international travel returns, with messaging that shows rather than tells how to embrace all things local and return to the love of exploration. The kind of travel experience that even masks can’t take away from.

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Tags: coronavirus recovery , south korea , tourism campaigns

Photo credit: South Korea showcases rural and modern landscapes in its new campaign, to blended K-pop and folk music. Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization / KTO

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Korea to strengthen tourism resilience with improved crisis policies and tech push

With the pandemic chalking up over US$5 billion in tourism losses for South Korea for the first seven months of 2020 and emphasising the vulnerability of the travel and tourism industry, government officials are now deliberating a set of crisis strategy that would better protect businesses from impacts of future outbreaks.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the pandemic and global travel restrictions have caused January-July international arrivals to South Korea to plummeted 77.1 per cent from the same period last year to about 2.18 million people. Tourist receipts took a less drastic tumble, sliding 19 per cent back from the January-June period last year to approximately US$13.6 billion this year.

Choi Bo-geun, director of tourism policy from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told TTG Asia that “effective policies” for the future would be drawn up after “analysing the effectiveness of some of our current support measures”.

Choi added that the government should be able to “systematically apply such policies in the event of future crises”.

While details of these future crises policies are not yet available, Choi referenced some of the useful efforts that are in place today. The government is presently shouldering up to 90 per cent of wages for tourism companies, up from an initial 75 per cent funding.

Coming up, the government intends to use the tourism downtime to examine its language guides, maps and transportation system to improve travellers’ experience in the future, as well as utilise big data to promote smart tourism and establish online tourism.

The technology push is already happening within the private section. Popular accommodation reservation platform Yanolja has leveraged technology to create a safer and cheaper traveling environment for the post-Covid era.

Kim Jong-yoon, head of Yanolja’s online services department, said Artificial Intelligence is being incorporated into its hotel solution, allowing guests to use their smartphone as a room key, a remote control and to access room services and restaurant reservations.

“If we can also use big data to carry out identity authentication for payments and check-ins, cost can be reduced efficiently,” Kim added.

Technology manipulation may not come naturally for some of South Korea’s smaller tourism players. Kim Da-young, CEO of local travel media and training company, Hitchhickr, hopes for easier access to technology resources that can be applied to the tourism sector so that stakeholders can move with the fourth industrial revolution.

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Source: Korea Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), U.S. Department of Commerce National Travel & Tourism Office (USDOC, NTTO).

South Korea has been a growing market in terms of arrivals and export revenue for the United States. Koreans’ desire for international travel and the abundance of information sharing through mass media and social networking platforms, has been contributing to the growth of outbound tourism. Unfortunately, the year 2020-2021 has been a challenging period due to COVID-19. The advent of coronavirus pandemic brought forth an unprecedented crisis and the Korean travel industry has been severely impacted by international travel restrictions. In 2021, 1.22 million Koreans traveled internationally, a 95.7 percent decrease compared to 2019. In the same year, 202,711 Koreans traveled to the United States, a 91.2 percent decrease compared to pre-pandemic year 2019. However, Korea is internationally recognized for its successful handling of COVID-19, without the enforcement of total lockdowns, and the Korean market is set to become one of first rebounding markets and top inbound travel destinations for America following the pandemic. U.S. airlines resumed flights to U.S. destinations from July 2020 after a four-month flight suspension. As more countries re-open and lift restrictive measures, Koreans are preparing to travel overseas to those selected less-hit countries. Furthermore, domestic travel has resumed at a faster pace than international travel, due in part to displacement effects of travel restrictions and changes in Korean travel behavior seeking “safer” alternatives such as road trips and other outdoor activities. Airlines and travel agents are reporting a significant rebound in international travel bookings since spring 2022 following the Korean government’s removal of mandatory 7-day quarantine upon arrival which went into effect as of April 1. Recent industry surveys show that more than 85 percent of Korean are eager to plan a vacation in the next six months and overseas travel is the most anticipated activity.

Prior to COVID-19, Koreans’ international travel was rapidly growing and offered significant opportunities for U.S. tourism exports. The U.S. remained one of the top five destinations for Korean outbound travelers and was consistently the top non-Asian and long-haul destination.  Koreans overwhelmingly choose the U.S. as their travel destination of choice, primarily because of the diversity in tourism opportunities and unique experiences, not generally available in Asia, as well as for American-style shopping; fine dining; theme parks; cultural attractions in major U.S. cities; relatively inexpensive golf experiences; and the U.S. National Parks. On average, in 2019, a Korean visitor to the U.S. spent approximately 4,900 USD per trip. This number translated to over 11 billion USD in tourism revenue from Korean outbound travelers to the United States. However, the outbreak of global pandemic posed severe travel export revenue challenges during 2020-2021. In 2019, Korea was the sixth largest source of inbound travel to the U.S., behind Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China.

Korean consumer confidence was gradually increasing across generations, but general travel confidence was hard hit by the health crisis. In the context of post pandemic era, rising discretionary spending on activities, gradual increases in vacation time, heightened globalization, and greater awareness of international developments outside the Korean Peninsula will resume and motivate more Koreans to travel overseas. Korea’s GDP per capita (PPP) rose to USD 45,220 in 2020 (according to the World Bank), placing it securely in the ranks of middle-income countries. Positive economic indicators, Korea’s addition to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (late 2008), and the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), which entered into force in March 2012, are helping spur even more leisure and business-related travel to the U.S. In 2019, nine percent of Korean travel to the U.S. is for business purposes. 

The recent boom of social commerce (social networks and websites that give product/service sellers access to a large pool of Korean consumers) is contributing to a growing trend, as it offers all types of travel products and unique experiences.  Following COVID-19, Korean travelers use social media platforms such as Kakao Talk, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and other online platforms to search for travel information.  Korea is well-known for having one of the fastest internet networks in the world, and internet penetration reaches 98 percent.  Moreover, travel booking via mobile devices continues to expand for Korean consumers and is becoming a widely used method of travel planning.  Nine out of 10 Korean travelers own a smartphone, and roughly half of those users booked flights/hotels via smartphones in the past twelve months. The number of internet and smartphone users has reached 95 percent of the Korean population.  As a result, more Korean travel companies are focusing on app-based travel platforms and creating user friendly mobile applications, since the number of Korean travelers that are using online/mobile booking services is rapidly increasing.

Korean mass media is influenced by U.S. movies, advertising, and popular culture, and this influence continues to stimulate interest in U.S. travel destinations. South Koreans’ positive perception of overseas travel and the abundance of information-sharing through mass media and social media are expected to continue to boost the growth of outbound tourism is the coming years.  

Sub-Sector Best Prospects

• Free and independent travelers.
• Group package tours.
• Family vacation packages.
• Cultural tours and scenic/nature tour packages, especially designed for Korean travelers.
• Luxury packages catering to Korea’s single, professional women, traveling for leisure.
• National parks.
• Outdoor activities.
• Culinary tours.
• Educational travel.

Opportunities

Tourism has been one of the most directly affected sectors by the coronavirus pandemic in Korea.  However, the tourism industry has demonstrated significant resilience, and when it is safe to travel again, the pent-up travel demand will increase for outbound travel. Even during the pandemic, Korean travelers never stopped researching and planning overseas trips for the future.  As the travel and tourism industry prepares plans for a comprehensive recovery, and with the help of the vaccines and other mitigation efforts, travel restrictions have been gradually lifted, Korean market is expected to bounce back to pre-pandemic level.  New emerging trends such as health safety and hygienic travel conditions have become key factors for Koreans to select destinations and tourism activities.

The U.S. has been the leading non-Asian destination for Koreans as it offers a variety of activities, culinary tours, and cultural experiences.  U.S.-bound Koreans account for 8.0 percent of Korea’s outbound market and there is room for further growth. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Seattle followed by the New York-Washington, DC corridor, have been the most popular destinations. For outbound travel, Koreans use group package tours or travel individually to visit friends and relatives. Group tours can focus on price-competitive products that entice travel agencies in Korea to sell these products. Korean travelers are generally interested in the following activities in the U.S: visiting museums, national parks, amusement/theme parks, fashion outlets, golf courses, buying OTC pharmaceuticals/vitamins and U.S. cosmetics, and visiting unique local restaurants and wineries.

To tap into the Korean market, American travel and tourism entities should provide marketing collaterals on their destinations and attractions in the Korean language and cultivate long-term relationships with the travel trade industry in Korea. There are approximately 11,000 tour agents handling outbound travel packages in Korea. Having effective educational programs and digital marketing strategies on the U.S. are key factors in accessing and revitalizing the travel demand from the Korean market. 

For more details, please contact the U.S. Commercial Service in Korea. 

Trade Events

• Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA). June 23-26, 2022.
• Seoul International Tourism Industry Fair. June 6-9, 2022.
• Busan International Travel Exhibition. October 13-16, 2022.
• Key Contacts
• National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) .
• Korea Tourism Organization.
• Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
• Visit USA Korea.
• Brand USA .

Local Contact

U.S. Commercial Service Korea    U.S. Embassy Seoul 188 Sejong-daero, Jongro-gu Seoul 03141, Korea Tel: 82-2-397-4535 [email protected]

www.trade.gov/south-korea

Emerging COVID-19 success story: South Korea learned the lessons of MERS

South korea is one country which has responded well to the coronavirus pandemic. how did they do so in-country experts provide key insights..

This is a guest post by June-Ho Kim (i), Julia Ah-Reum An (i), SeungJu Jackie Oh (i), Juhwan Oh (ii), Jong-Koo Lee (ii) as part of the Exemplars in Global Health platform (see institutional affiliations 1 ).

This article was published earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the latest published data at that time.

We now source data on confirmed cases and deaths from the WHO. You can find the most up-to-date data for all countries in our Coronavirus Data Explorer .

Read the previous version of this article published 30 June 2020.

A previous version of this article covered the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea from January to June 2020.

Introduction

South Korea’s response to COVID-19 has been impressive. Building on its experience handling Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), South Korea was able to flatten the epidemic curve quickly without closing businesses, issuing stay-at-home orders, or implementing many of the stricter measures adopted by other high-income countries until late 2020. It achieved this success by developing clear guidelines for the public, conducting comprehensive testing and contact tracing, and supporting people in quarantine to make compliance easier. The country successfully managed outbreaks in March and August and gradually gained control of a larger, more dispersed outbreak in December 2020. Overall, South Korea has shown success across three phases of the epidemic preparedness and response framework: detection, containment, and treatment.

• Detect:  South Korea built innovative, high-capacity screening facilities and worked closely with the private sector to ensure an adequate supply of tests from the onset of the pandemic. The country maintains approximately 600 screening and testing centers and 150 diagnostic laboratories, with capacity reaching 110,000 tests as of November 2020.
• Contain:  South Korea isolated infected patients, increased compliance by supporting those in quarantine, and traced contacts with unusual thoroughness. Hundreds of epidemiological intelligence officers were deployed for these tracing efforts and empowered to use a wide variety of data sources, including credit card transactions and closed-circuit television footage.
• Treat:  The health system surged to meet demand, especially in Daegu, the site of a large cluster of infections in March 2020. An additional 2,400 health workers were recruited in Daegu alone. Across the country, the government restructured the hospital system, built temporary hospitals to increase capacity, and addressed shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) through centralized government purchasing.

South Korea’s strong enabling environment positioned the government to act quickly and effectively. After its flawed response to a MERS outbreak in 2015, the government made 48 reforms to boost public health emergency preparedness and response. In addition, a well-functioning national health insurance system, ample human resources and infrastructure, and constructive relationships between key institutions—such as the president’s office, the Ministries of Health, Education, and Foreign Affairs, and the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which was renamed the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), during the pandemic—enabled an extraordinarily decisive response to the pandemic.

Country Overview

Since the 1960s, South Korea’s economy has grown at a remarkable pace, and it is currently the 12th largest in the world. 2 Health outcomes have improved alongside economic progress. South Korea put social health insurance in place in the 1970s, achieved universal health care coverage in 1989, and transitioned to a single-payer system in 2004. 3

South Korea’s health system is centered on hospital-based care. The number of hospital beds per capita, 12.3 beds per 1,000 population, is two times higher than the average in Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. 4 The country excels not only in hospital capacity but also in interactions with doctors, with an OECD-leading 16.6 consultations annually per capita. 5 Although some critics suggest that South Korea’s health system is overly dependent on secondary or tertiary facilities instead of primary facilities, this extra capacity enabled hospitals to respond quickly to COVID-19 without sacrificing care for non-COVID-19 patients. 6

Despite its robust health system, South Korea struggled to respond appropriately to the 2015 outbreak of MERS, which resulted in nearly 17,000 suspected cases and 38 deaths. During the six months of that outbreak, Koreans lived in fear, and the government lost an estimated US$2.6 billion in tourism revenue while spending almost US$1 billion on diagnosis, treatment, and other parts of its response. 6

After MERS, the country made a total of 48 reforms to improve pandemic preparedness and response, including more infection control staff and isolation units, expanded outbreak simulations and PPE training, and community-based collaboration between medical centers and local governments. 7 When COVID-19 struck, the painful memory of MERS inspired an early and aggressive government response—and a willingness among people to wear masks, cooperate with contract tracers, and otherwise listen to public health officials. For example, wearing a mask in public spaces, already common because of air pollution, became a social norm early in the pandemic. 8 A poll showed that more people adhered to public prevention protocols during the COVID-19 outbreak than during the MERS outbreak. 6

Outbreak Timeline

South Korea was one of the first countries to experience a COVID-19 outbreak, with its first case, imported from Wuhan, China, reported on January 20, 2020 (see Figure 1). The government activated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters within days, and it has met daily since then, with the prime minister attending at least three times a week. 9

The number of confirmed cases ranged from zero to two per day for the first month of the outbreak, until a cluster was identified in Daegu, a city of about 2.5 million, starting at 15 cases on February 19. The cluster originated from the individual known as patient 31, who traveled around the cities of Daegu (including the Shincheonji Church of Jesus) and Seoul before her diagnosis. 10  Thereafter, daily confirmed cases rose rapidly and reached a peak of 909 on February 29.

After this peak, the number of new cases fell rapidly in the following two weeks until it hovered below 200 daily confirmed cases by March 12. Daily cases continued to decline steadily to nearly zero, although there was a minor resurgence in mid-May (about 30 cases per day) as the country started to reopen. 11

On May 6, the national mandates on social distancing were relaxed in favor of softer guidelines. Schools began holding in-person classes on May 20, which was relatively early. By June, only 20 countries had reopened schools—and 4 had never closed them down. 12 The return to in-person classes in South Korea was staggered by grade and completed by June 8, 2020, 9 with density restrictions (e.g., staggering days on which students attended in person) in areas of higher community transmission. 13 Studies conducted over the summer found that reopening schools had a limited impact on the development of new disease clusters. 14 In the semester starting September 2020, schools were given more autonomy over opening procedures and lighter capacity restraints, with guidelines set by the Ministry of Education based on the level of social distancing in effect. 12 Throughout the closure and reopening process, government support for childcare, internet, and technology was provided to families in need.

In mid-August, another spike in cases led to a peak average case count of 343.9 on August 28. 11 Like the Daegu outbreak, this outbreak was also linked to a religious group, the Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul. In response, Seoul reinstated its Level 2 restrictions (out of three levels), which includes limiting indoor gatherings to 50 people and outdoor gatherings to 100. It also collected the names of approximately 4,000 church members and tested about half of those, although contact tracing efforts were resisted by the church. 16 Level 2 restrictions were reinstated on August 23, and by September 20, daily cases had fallen below 100.

In September 2020, the Korean CDC, previously under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, transitioned to a stand-alone agency called the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), with increased staffing. KDCA releases daily reports that not only outline the raw numbers (e.g., cases, deaths, patients by severity), but also identify the location and case counts by different clusters and remaining health system capacity such as bed counts in intense care units. 9

Daily cases hovered around 100 in mid-November, when South Korea began to experience its third significant outbreak, with daily case counts that peaked at over 1,000 before decreasing in January 2021. 11

KDCA received viral specimens from China to begin developing diagnostic tools even before the first case was confirmed in South Korea. As soon as the first case was reported, South Korea turned its focus toward preparing for large-scale testing. Many biotechnology companies sprang up in the years between MERS and COVID-19, 17 enabling the development of public-private partnerships and scaled-up testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19.

On January 27, 2020, a week after the first COVID-19 case in South Korea, KDCA directed private companies to produce a diagnostic reagent. 18 Within two weeks of the first case, thousands of test kits were shipped daily, with the number reaching up to 100,000 kits per day in March. 19 By April 24, 118 institutions were able to run an average of 15,000 tests (and up to 20,000) per day. The number of institutions running tests continued to climb gradually, reaching 146 by August. 9 Subsequently, testing capacity increased 600 percent, reaching 110,000 per day by November 2020.

After testing capacity was expanded, the focus shifted to screening. To prevent infected people from entering hospitals, for example, COVID-19 screening clinics were set up outside entrances. Those flagged based on their symptoms or responses to screening questions were tested and told to return home and self-quarantine while they waited for results, whereas those who were considered low risk received a day entrance pass. Screening stations were set up in various strategic locations, including at Incheon International Airport. By September 22, there were 599 screening stations, including 48 drive-through centers. To encourage full testing among migrant worker communities, where several clusters emerged, the government announced that it no longer required health workers to report known undocumented residents. 9

During the surge of cases in Daegu in February 2020, health officials opened 600 screening centers using innovative approaches to increase capacity. 18 For example, drive-through testing centers collected three times as many samples as conventional ones, while removing the need for negative pressure rooms that prevented contaminated air from escaping into uncontaminated areas. 20 Meanwhile, phone booth–style stations enabled health care workers to evaluate and test people without coming into direct contact with them. First, workers stood outside negative pressure booths wearing PPE. Eventually, they shifted to positive pressure booths, which minimized the need for PPE and thereby prevented fatigue. 21  By late March, the country had performed over 300,000 tests, equal to a rate more than 40 times higher per capita than in the United States at that time.

Since March 15, the test positivity rate has been below 2 percent, and from April 6 to August 15, it was 1 percent or lower. During the second spike in August, the positivity rate peaked at 2.5 percent, and it reached 3.3 percent during the December surge, both well below the World Health Organization benchmark of 10 percent test positivity for adequate testing levels. 11

Travel Restrictions

In late January 2020, South Korea instituted special entry procedures for travelers coming from Wuhan. Procedures initially included designated entry lines and questionnaires and later expanded to include temperature checks, testing all travelers at the border, and mandatory quarantines monitored for 14 days. (Travelers without Korean residency are provided facilities for self-quarantine but must pay for the cost of their stay.) This policy of tracing and quarantining, rather than restricting entry, is in line with recommendations from the WHO, whereas border closures are not. 6

As case counts increased globally in the summer and fall of 2020, South Korea tightened travel restrictions and as of October 2020, requires visas for nearly all foreign nationals. It suspended visa-waiver countries and visa-free countries, with some exceptions (e.g., flight attendants). Visa applicants are required to submit forms about their health status and show symptom-free certification from a medical professional. Overall, visitors to South Korea decreased by 81 percent year-over-year. 9

Isolation and Quarantine

In the early months of the pandemic, the South Korean government transformed public facilities and retreat centers owned by private corporations into temporary isolation wards. It did this for two reasons: to care for COVID-19 patients while preventing transmission within households, and to relieve hospitals of bed shortages. Health care workers regularly monitored and quarantined clinically stable patients who did not require inpatient treatment. 8

In Daegu, the site of the first cluster, 15 community treatment centers, including several in dormitories for training institutes of private companies such as Samsung and LG, admitted 3,033 people between March 3 and March 26, 2020. Health professionals monitored the centers and patients reported their symptoms regularly by a smartphone application or by phone. The facilities were equipped with pulse oximeters, X-ray machines, and RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2. Only 81 of 3,033 (2.67 percent) cases were transferred to a hospital for higher-level care. 22

South Korea’s quarantine policies are strict but supportive. People who have been in contact with a confirmed case, traveled internationally, or suspect they might be infected are required to self-quarantine. Those in quarantine are required to use the Self-Quarantine Safety Protection app for 14 days. Case officers monitor the app, including location tracking, to identify when people break quarantine. Violators are required to wear “safety bands,” electronic wristbands that connect to the app and alert case officers if they are not in the same location as their mobile devices. The fine for violating self-quarantine is heavy: US$8,217. 23

At the same time, case officers provide support to make quarantine easier. Twice daily they check in with those who are self-quarantining, to deliver food and toiletries and offer psychological counseling and video-streaming services for entertainment. 8

South Korea has maintained a focus on mental health throughout the pandemic, creating hotlines and recordings for those in isolation as early as January and maintaining a national psychological support team. 24

Contact Tracing

South Korea took an aggressive approach to contact tracing early in the outbreak. First, they scaled up their network of contact tracers. Second, they gave these workers access to data beyond what they might be able to learn from a typical patient interview. Third, they used public communications to empower citizens to assist the health system with contact tracing.

South Korea expanded its usual workforce of Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers by quickly training staff at approximately 250 local public health centers, hiring 300 private epidemiologists, and leveraging staff at 11 nongovernmental organizations that train and support EIS officers. This multilevel approach was effective, with the veteran EIS officers conducting the more difficult investigations in large clusters, and health facilities and temporary staff handling smaller clusters including families. These efforts led to earlier case detection, kept the rate of new infections low, and potentially reduced estimated mortality rates by preventing hospital overcrowding and infections among high-risk populations. 6

The work of the EIS officers was further facilitated by legal changes following the 2015 MERS outbreak. When necessary, the officers were permitted to draw on four major types of information in addition to patient and doctor interviews:

• Facility visit records, including pharmacies and medical facilities
• Cellular GPS data from cell phones
• Credit card transaction logs
• Closed-circuit television

This information was combined with interviews and cross-checked with other data to trace contacts and take appropriate containment measures. 27 (see figure below)

On June 10, 2020, the country introduced an additional system called KI-Pass to help contact tracing efforts after outbreaks at several high-risk locations. The system introduces QR codes at high-traffic facilities like bars and gyms to replace manual sign-in sheets. 29 To respond to public worry about data use and privacy, the government instituted additional data protections, including automatically deleting data after 14 days. 9

South Korea encourages compliance with containment efforts by developing apps that collected relevant data, which eases the burden on EIS officers and made it possible for them to cope with the high volume of investigations. Patient trajectories are made public to enable citizens to track their own movements compared with those of suspected cases. Traveler information is shared with health facilities and pharmacies to facilitate prompt identification of cases and contacts. 30

Social Distancing

Korea has a three-tiered social distancing system with half levels (i.e., Level 1, Level 1.5, and so on through Level 3), as well as a “distancing in daily life” strategy, designed to be the most sustainable level of restriction. These levels are adjusted based on metrics including the number of cases and rate of change. 31

In May and June, after the first implementation of the “distancing in daily life” strategy, multiple outbreaks occurred in the Seoul area, with clusters from bars and warehouses. As a result, Seoul resumed more strict distancing guidelines until daily case counts were below ten. During the second spike in August, the entire country moved up to Level 2. These restrictions were eased in most of the country on October 12 32 but tightened again to Level 2 in November and Level 2.5 in Seoul in December as infections among asymptomatic young people increased.

Throughout the pandemic, information on proper mask-wearing and distancing was widely shared, and the government worked to find sources of misinformation. When misinformation was identified, the Korea Communications Standards Commission addressed the issue with cooperation from major websites like Google and Facebook. 29 In October, Korea amended its Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act to introduce mandatory mask-wearing, enforceable by fines of up to 100,000 Korean won (KRW), approximately US$90. 33

During a shortage of hospital beds in the epicenter of Daegu, health officials developed a triage system using a brief severity scoring system to classify patient illnesses as mild, moderate, severe, or critical. Mildly ill patients were sent to community treatment centers where they were closely monitored, moderately ill patients were sent to community hospitals, and severely or critically ill patients were hospitalized at tertiary hospitals equipped to provide intensive care. 8

Using portable negative pressure devices, the government was able to rapidly expand the supply of temporary airborne infection isolation rooms. In Daegu, officials created about 400 additional negative pressure beds during the crisis. 34

Daegu officials also recruited about 2,400 additional health care workers who were spread out among screening clinics, infectious disease hospitals, and community treatment centers. In addition, 327 physicians volunteered without pay to participate in the public health response, with 30 volunteering for the centralized COVID-19 response team and 260 volunteering for phone triage centers. 21

As with many cities around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, Daegu faced a shortage of PPE, a critical issue that was escalated to the national government. Initially, the government limited the export of masks and penalized hoarding among retailers, but in mid-February, emergency measures doubled the production of masks in South Korea to an average of 10 million per day by March. 21

The government intervened in early March to purchase 80 percent of the mask supply from Korean manufacturers, fully ban exports, set a price limit on mask sales, and limit the number of masks sold weekly through retailers. Moreover, the government prioritized the distribution of masks to medical facilities. These interventions provided relief and averted further shortages, without forcing hospitals to issue policies about reusing PPE. 21 As the mask supply stabilized, the government relaxed sales limits to three masks in April and ten in June, and eliminated specific purchasing days. This policy was enforced by the development of a shared database that logged purchases across markets, post offices, and pharmacies. 29

After the Daegu surge, South Korea took a series of steps to manage capacity in the health system. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure committee restructured the health care system to form six regional clusters (instead of 17 state and city jurisdictions) to make it easier to transfer patients between facilities and manage capacity. 29 Currently, a variation of the severity scoring system first used in Daegu is in use nationwide, with four different categories: asymptomatic, mild, moderate, or severe. Asymptomatic and mild cases are placed in one of five residential treatment centers instead of hospitals.

As of September 22, 2020, in addition to the 198 beds that compose the National Designated Isolation Unit, 43 hospitals with 4,075 hospital beds were designated Infectious Disease Hospitals and dedicated to COVID-19 treatment.Similarly, 323 hospitals were designated National Safe Hospitals for people seeking non-COVID-19 treatment. Each of these hospitals has separate areas for those with respiratory symptoms to be evaluated. 9

Health and Economic Impact

So far, disruptions of the health system have been limited. Given the relatively low incidence of COVID-19 and rapid control of major outbreaks through the fall season, hospitals were not overwhelmed. In addition, South Korea’s policy of designating COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 hospitals helped maintain the normal functioning of the health system for all needs.

Economically, South Korea is expected to be one of the better-performing countries in 2020. In August, the OECD projected that it would face the least economic impact, as measured by the percentage decrease in GDP for all 37 OECD member countries. 35 In October 2020, South Korea reported a growth of 1.9 percent from the previous quarter. Much of this growth has been driven by exports of memory chips for electronics and of automobiles to Europe and the United States.2

Part of the explanation for this success is that South Korea was able to avoid some of the severe long-term restrictions, such as lockdowns and business closures, that have led to troubled economies in many high-income countries. For example, after the government tightened restrictions in August because of the church outbreak and in late September because of a national holiday, it loosened them again in October. 36 In fact, the country never activated its highest level of restriction—which would have barred gatherings with more than ten people and closed gyms and other high-traffic businesses. 37

South Korea faced significant economic disruption, however, including large job losses. The government responded by providing subsidies to businesses for payroll and to unemployment insurance and low-interest loans to low-income job seekers. The government also lowered insurance premiums for social safety net programs for individuals and businesses. All households, regardless of income, received a disaster relief payment of KRW 400,000 (US$344) for single-person households, KRW 600,000 (US$516) for two-person households, KRW 800,000 (US$688) for three-person households, and KRW 1 million (US$859) for households with four or more members.

South Korea clearly stands out in the global COVID-19 response, with fewer than 80,000 cases and 1,500 deaths a full year after the first case was reported. The keys to the response have been clear, effective communication with the public about prevention best practices, aggressive and creative testing and contact tracing, and a strict quarantine policy accompanied by ample support that made it easier for patients to comply with the policy. This suite of tools has kept the disease burden low and enabled the government to manage a series of outbreaks while not unnecessarily harming the economy, which is performing better than that of most peer countries.

Despite its success, lessons from South Korea may not be relevant to all countries. South Korea, which is separated from China by North Korea, is effectively an island with respect to border travel and access. The population is highly urbanized, with over 80 percent living in urban areas. 38 As a result, most cases in South Korea were clustered and often related to a small number of high-transmission events or locations, including megachurch services, other religious observances, a hobby sports group meeting, and workers in the tightly packed telecommunication center of a bank. Meticulous contact tracing may have been easier than in other settings where the disease spread through multiple smaller clusters and community transmission—as evidenced by the challenges South Korea faced in December when community spread occurred in small clusters.

Culturally and legally, South Korea is more tolerant of personal data-sharing, and its success has been heavily dependent on its ability to rapidly scale up technological solutions. Countries with less technology and where citizens do not have smartphones or are not as willing to share their data may experience difficulties adapting such strategies.

Despite these differences, many aspects of South Korea’s response are worthy of study, including its investments in preparedness, decisive and data-driven leadership, strategic clarity (a focus on testing and contact tracing), and willingness to be innovative. The data-driven agility that has led to South Korea’s success so far is being tested as cases continue to surge globally. Although the country’s case numbers are still much lower than those in many comparable countries, changes in the disease’s epidemiology—with asymptomatic young people seeding small clusters—require more innovation.

In-depth explainers on Exemplar countries

This framework identified three countries which provide key success stories in addressing the pandemic: South Korea, Vietnam and Germany. In these related articles, in-country experts provide key insights into how these countries achieved this.

How experts use data to identify emerging COVID-19 success stories

How can we define success stories in addressing COVID-19?

Emerging COVID-19 success story: Vietnam's commitment to containment

Emerging COVID-19 success story: Germany's strong enabling environment

This article is one of a series focused on identifying and understanding Exemplars in the response to the Coronavirus pandemic. It is hosted by the Exemplars in Global Health (EGH) platform.

Exemplars in Global Health is a coalition of experts, funders, and collaborators around the globe, supported by Gates Ventures and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who share the belief that rigorously understanding global health successes can help drive better resource allocation, policy, and implementation decisions. The Exemplars in Global Health platform was created to help decision-makers around the world quickly learn how countries have solved major health and human capital challenges.

Institutional affiliations:

(i) Ariadne Labs, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health & Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

(ii) Department of Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

Seoul National University College of Medicine (SNUCM) and its training hospitals have an outstanding global reputation for excellence in medical research. About 1,000 principal investigators are devoted to providing the highest standard of medical treatment and research in all fields of medical science as well as the public contribution to improve global health care.

World Bank. GDP (current US$) [data set]. World Bank Data. Washington, DC: World Bank.  https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?most_recent_value_desc=true.  Accessed April 30, 2020.

Kwon S, Lee T, Kim C. Republic of Korea Health System Review . (Health Systems in Transition, Vol. 5, No. 4). Manila: World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Western Pacific; 2015. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/208215 . Accessed April 27, 2020.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Health equipment – hospital beds per capita, 2017, South Korea [data set]. OECD Data. Paris: OECD.  https://data.oecd.org/healtheqt/hospital-beds.htm.  Accessed May 31, 2020.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Doctors' consultations – yearly, total per capita, 2017, South Korea [data set]. OECD Data. Paris: OECD.  https://data.oecd.org/healthcare/doctors-consultations.htm.  Accessed May 26, 2020.

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The Post Pandemic Revitalization Plan for the Medical Tourism Sector in South Korea: A Brief Review

Byung-ro seo.

1. Korea Department of Global MICE, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea

Kyoung-Lee Kim

2. Asia Contents Institute, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea

The significant impacts of recent infectious diseases (MERS, COVID-19) demand fundamental changes and alternatives in different markets, such as tourism and the medical tourism industry. In this study, we aimed to have a historical investigation on how infectious diseases have affected the tourism industry in Korea, to reach practical implications for managing the medical tourism sector. The impact of global infectious diseases, including MERS, and COVID-19, on the tourism industry was studied in South Korea. First, the available information was collected to clarify how these two outbreaks have impacted the tourism market in South Korea, and then the government’s countermeasures were studied. Investigating among the policies resulted in practical implications for the post-pandemic revitalizing plan for the medical tourism market. The infectious outbreak caused a significant decrease in the number of inbound tourists to South Korea, moreover, the crisis response system of the government has been useful so far. Hence, several practical implications can be achieved for the medical tourism market. A framework is suggested which involves 5 stages of strategies to revitalize medical tourism market. It presents remedies to revitalize the medical tourism industry and to enter the global market again. Korea’s quarantine model, which succeeded in preventing COVID-19, can be a preemptive response to another pandemic in the future. The medical tourism industry policy based on Korea’s quarantine model will contribute to the revitalization of the international medical tourism industry after COVID-19.

Introduction

From the last decade, several countries in Asia have focused on the international marketing of medical tourism due to its significant economic benefits ( 1 ). The characteristics of medical tourism in most of the countries in East Asian countries are low cost of medical treatment, high-quality medical service, and a short waiting time However, in Korea, after the revision of the Medical Service Act in 2009, the medical tourism market has been one of the main concerns of the government. This country mainly focused on a high-quality medical service, and specifically in the area of cosmetic surgery and cancer treatment ( 2 ). Despite concerns that the country started later than other countries in Asia, Korea has achieved remarkable growth in a short period and has recently become a major medical tourism country.

However, the frequent outbreaks of global infectious diseases (SARS, MERS, and COVID-19) in recent years have raised the need to review the system of international medical tourism. Infectious diseases are deeply related to personal medical care, social and public health care. After World War II, infectious diseases were thought to be no longer a problem due to vaccines and antibiotics. However, in just a few decades, infectious disease has become a worldwide crisis ( 3 ). Urbanization, high population density, and transnational mobility accelerate the speed of spread of infectious diseases ( 4 ). SARS, one of the most common infectious diseases of the 21st century, has resulted in a total of 8,098 cases in 26 countries and 74 deaths since it began in China in the winter of 2002 and ended in July 2003 ( 5 ). The ‘swine flu’ in 2009 and MERS in 2015 appeared mainly in the Middle East. Overall, 2,482 positive cases were detected in 27 countries, including Europe and the Middle East, and 854 died (WHO, as of Oct 31, 19). Around 98% ( 1 ,117) of total infected patients were in the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (mortality rate: 41%) ( 6 ). Even though the quality of life has improved significantly (for instance, the development of hygiene environment, the development of medicine, and the extension of life expectancy) the fear of infectious diseases is as high as ever ( 7 ). COVID-19, which occurred in early 2020, has been unpredictable and out of control and it has changed our lives entirely. The spread of COVID-19 around the world has become a serious problem as many people believe that it is impossible to return to the world before COVID-19 again. This is an opportunity for countries around the world to recognize that the medical crisis caused by this pandemic is a task to be solved through transnational cooperation, and it is essential to establish a new frame of global “health security”. The Director-General of the WHO said on Mar 10, 2020, that the outbreak of this novel coronavirus is a public health emergency of international relations, which is the highest level of awareness of the WHO ( 8 ). This was also a declaration calling for a world-class countermeasure of infectious diseases at a global level.

This study investigated the situation in which infectious diseases have affected the tourism industry in South Korea, and how the government designed the revitalization plan. The final goal was to reach to lessons and design some remedies that can be applied in medical tourism sector.

When it comes to the medical tourism sector, designing the revitalization plan during and after the pandemic is far more difficult due to the nature of this sector. The involved customers are in a very vulnerable situation; besides safety and trust have been always the basic requirements in medical tourism. While during the epidemic or pandemic there is a shortage of both safety and trust levels for travelers around the world.

We aimed to have a historical investigation on how infectious diseases have affected the tourism industry in Korea, to reach practical implications for managing the medical tourism sector.

A brief history

Figure 1 shows the trend of inbound visitors to Korea over the past 20 years. The decline in the number of inbounds in 2002, 2015 and 2020 accurately illustrate the impact of the infectious diseases spread, such as SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. The spread of COVID-19 is continued, and it significantly affected on the inbound tourists. With COVID-19, the spread of infectious diseases can harm the medical tourism sector in the short to long term ( 9 ).

Inbound statistics in Korea (2002-2020)

Source: Korea Tourism Organization (2020.06.08)

Demand changes in tourism: MERS

1) mers outbreak and countermeasure in korea in 2015.

MERS is an infectious respiratory disease and it first occurred in the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East in September 2012. It spread rapidly in Korea as a foreigner infected by MERS entered Korea in May 2015 and it was reported 186 confirmed cases and 38 deaths (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2018). During that epidemic period, Hong Kong issued a red warning (restriction of unnecessary travel) for travel to Korea, and China recommended a temporary suspension of visits to Korea ( 10 ). The Korean government administered the information provision service by phone for incoming tourists and conducted various activities to address the reliability of the Korean health care system.

In 2015, the Korean government operated a crisis response team under control of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, taking into account the seriousness, spread speed, duration, and ripple effects of MERS and the government’s capability to respond to MERS ( 11 ). On May 20, 2015, when the first confirmed patient with MERS occurred, the government raised the alert level of infectious diseases from concern to caution. The government initiated several measures by different organizations, for instance “public-private joint action group”, the “task force team for new infectious diseases response”, and the “MERS countermeasure headquarters of the Korean medical association”. The advisory committee, countermeasure committee, and policy committee under the countermeasure headquarters were operated and, especially, the policy committee proposed a mid- to long-term plan for the operation of risk management for infectious diseases at country level.

Later, the government announced a plan to reorganize the national quarantine system, and to proceed with the paid compensation for losses to the damaged medical institutions related to MERS. On Jan 2016, the Board of Audit and Inspection announced the results of the MERS incident, and since then, this committee has been operating as a medical-related infection council and to operate the improvement during the epidemic or pandemic ( 12 ).

Analysis of demand changes in medical tourism: MERS

In 2015, the international tourism demand in Middle East Asia, the major MERS occurred area, had fluctuated from Feb to Oct and began to recover after Dec ( Fig. 2 ). There was no noticeable change in the demand of Asia Pacific region except Korea. The total number of tourists traveling to Korea in 2015 was 13,231,651. It had decreased from Jun to Sep and recovered to the previous level after Oct, which caused severe loss in tourism balance ( 13 ).

Changes in tourism demand by month in 2015 Source: UNWTO ( https://www.unwto.org )

During the three months of the MERS outbreak, the Korean government isolated 16,993 people and spent around 850 million dollars to minimize the effect of MERS ( 14 ). The emergence budget was mostly spent on assistance for the designated hospital for MERS, care facility, and transformation of national quarantine system. The total economic loss is estimated as 8.5 billion dollars. There were tremendous losses in the overall industry including tourism industry; however, since the duration of the MERS outbreak in Korea was rather short, it is inferred that the impact of MERS outbreak is not as massive as that of COVID-19.

Demand changes in tourism: COVID-19

Covid-19 status and countermeasure.

The number of COVID-19 confirmed cases surged worldwide in early 2020. As of Jun 29, 2021, in Korea, the total confirmed cases were 156,167 and deaths were 2,017 ( 15 ). The first COVID-19 confirmed case in Korea was a Chinese woman, who crossed the border on Jan 20, 2020 from Wuhan, China, and as a Korean, a 55-year-old man was confirmed on Jan 24. The Korean government established the Central Disaster Management Headquarters on Jan 27. The medical profession connected quarantine and clinical service, operating an emergency medical countermeasure headquarter based on the Korea Medical Association and Korean Hospital Association. However, as the cases surged sharply, the government raised the crisis level to “seriousness” and other measurements were adopted. They strengthened the quarantine system and public medical system. Specifically, they set up the main department for epidemiological investigation, supplied masks to the public through pharmacies, and implemented the social distancing campaign. In addition, it has been mandatory to quarantine for two weeks after taking the test, and all passengers entering the country must download the diagnostic mobile app and respond to the monitoring of officials. Consequently, the rising trend in the confirmed cases had slowed down in the second half of 2020. The response of the Korean government and the Korean society to COVID-19 demonstrates that not only the government policies but also the cultural context and lifestyle of Korea play a significant role in controlling the spread of virus; all these factors has let to organize the response system actively and promptly ( 16 ).

Analysis of demand changes in Medical tourism: COVID-19

There were 17,502,756 foreign visitors to Korea in 2019, of which 497,464 people visited as foreign patients from other countries. Among them, there were 473,000 outpatients and 24,000 inpatients, an increase of 31.3% compared to the previous year ( 17 ). However, the number of foreign visitors decreased significantly in 2020. The number of foreign patients has dropped sharply. As such, 2019 was the year when Korea’s medical tourism sector achieved excellent results, and it won the grand prize at the “Medical Tourism Destination of the Year” at the global medical tourism conference “IMTJ Medical Travel Summit 2019 ( 18 ).” However, as the global medical tourism market shrank in line with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the number of overseas visitors to Korea was 2,5191,118 and a cumulative 268,695 in May 2021. Thus, Korea ranked 14th with 68.81 points in the World Medical Tourism Index (MTI 2020–2021) published by the International Healthcare Research Center (IHRC) ( 19 ).

Implications for the medical tourism sector in South Korea during the pandemic

The losses in the Korean medical tourism industry due to COVID-19 are incomparable to that of happened during the MERS epidemic in 2015. However, the experience of MERS in Korea left many valuable lessons on the countermeasures policies to infection diseases. On the previous experience, Korean government enforced neither state control nor active movement control orders. However, for the COVID-19 pandemic, the proactive and transparent regulations of the Korean government decreased the level of negative effects. Even though vaccinations began in some countries, still there is a possibility of another crisis and COVID-19 is far from a complete end.

Searching among those action plans that have assisted in revitalized the tourism industry after crisis in Korea, we found the advanced technology as a privilege that can facilitate the revitalization of medical tourism, in the contemporary situation. The world has applied the digitalized health-bio industry based on telemedicine as a remedy to disease prevention and health management and, several countries put much effort into building the telemedicine system. According to McKinsey, since COVID-19, the usage rate of the telemedicine service in the United States increased by 46%, and more doctors and medical institutions are using the telemedicine system ( 20 ).

The Korean government has inevitably granted temporary permission for telemedicine only in tele-counseling and prescription. It can be inferred what the medical tourism industry should prepare after the pandemic. If the non-face-to-face medical service enlarges in the medical tourism industry, more than 20,000 Korean doctors worldwide, who can communicate in English, can utilize the Korean telemedicine system at their base. Accumulated data for various diseases, diagnoses, and clinic can be exploited to cure patients several times ( 21 ). In the era of COVID-19, it is recommended to reduce the disagreement between the medical and IT industry and decrease the strict regulations on telemedicine. Moreover, specific measures such as the clean tourist destination campaign, the quarantine certification system, and insurance plans for infectious diseases are necessary. Therefore, the non-face-to-face medical service will lead to more promising outcomes in response to infectious diseases later. Specifically, it is recommended to develop a digital health care platform for the bio-health industry and implement an international quarantine certified system and health insurance policy for infectious diseases.

A recovery plan for the medical tourism sector in South Korea during the pandemic

No country is free from the pandemic. During the pandemic, the medical tourism industry has stagnated. Now policies for unpredictable infectious diseases should be added to the preexisting measures for the revitalization of medical tourism industry. As seen in the case of Korea, already experienced MERS, the policies implemented by the Korean government including the K-quarantine system along with the non-face-to-face medical service are suggested for the future of medical tourism industry.

Firstly, it is recommended to establish a government-centered collaborative system between departments and deliver the countermeasures to local health centers and private hospitals in a top-down manner.

Secondly, it is advised to ensure transparency in communication with citizens to embrace the decided measures without discordance and request cooperation at the national level.

Thirdly, it is proposed to systemize the non-face-to-face medical service. It should provide detailed information such as extensive antibody tests, the movement and isolation of confirmed patients, and vaccination to mobile phones through the IT system.

Fourthly, it is encouraged to adopt the international quarantine certification, maintain the quarantine system of local governments, and manage the intact areas. It is principal in the medical tourism industry of the local.

Lastly, it is advised to promote the excellence of the K-quarantine model as a country to successfully manage the pandemic.

The pandemic is still around the corner and its impact on international tourism and medical tourism industry is enormous. Many people will take a trip and medical tourism once the pandemic is completely terminated or COVID-19 is easily curable and preventable with various vaccines and treatments. The medical response system to minimize the pandemic risk related to international movement will be a key point in determining the medical service level of the medical tourism destination. In this regard, Korea will be chosen as a safe destination for medical tourism as it has successfully managed the pandemic with the K-quarantine model. All in all, the Korean medical tourism industry has potential to be revitalized with suggested medical policies and the K-quarantine model.

Ethical considerations

Ethical issues (Including plagiarism, informed consent, misconduct, data fabrication and/or falsification, double publication and/or submission, redundancy, etc.) have been completely observed by the authors.

Acknowledgements

This paper was supported by the KU Research Professor Program of Konkuk University.

Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.