Japan and South Korea resume bilateral business travel October 8 onwards, following a halt due to the Cover-19 pandemic.
Travellers on short-term business trips will not be required to observe 14-day self-isolation periods if they test negative for the Coronavirus, as per the bilateral agreement. They must however submit travel itineraries, among other preventive measures.
Expatriates and other long-term residents will be allowed to enter on the condition that they will remain in isolation for two weeks.
The Japan-South Korea relationship is said to be an extremely severe situation, as stated by Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi – “So exchanges of people from both countries, starting with businesspeople, are important.”
Japan and Singapore signed a similar bilateral agreement recently.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, around 5.58 million South Koreans visited Japan in 2019, the second-highest number, following around 9.59 million from China.
Of the visitors from South Korea, about 310,000 traveled for official purposes.
Japan had imposed entry bans on foreign nationals in February to curb the spread of Covid-19. The country has recently started to reopen its borders as part of efforts to boost the domestic economy.
