Seoul Arrests Traveler From China Who Escaped Quarantine

Staff members wearing protective equipment guide travellers at the arrival hall of Incheon International Airport in South Korea, on Nov. 30, 2021. Jung Yeon-je /AFP via Getty Images

Seoul police announced they captured a 41-year-old Chinese man who had tested COVID-19 positive when he arrived at Incheon Airport from China, and subsequently ran away from the quarantine hotel he was taken to.

Hotel camera footage shows him running from the quarantine hotel in Yeongjong-do, Incheon, at around 10:04 p.m. on Jan. 3, shortly after he and other travelers who tested positive had been taken to the facility by bus.

Police arrested the man in a hotel in Seoul at around 12:55 p.m. on Jan. 5, reported The Korea Herald.

Kim Joo-young, a South Korea health official said that the Chinese man may face imprisonment of up to one year or a 10 million won (about $7,880) fine under the Infectious Disease Prevention Act, The Korea Times reported.

Incheon International Airport, in Incheon, South Korea, on March 25, 2022. Heo Ran/Reuters

Border Restrictions

Starting on Jan. 2, South Korea requires all travelers from China arriving by air or sea to submit a negative PCR test result taken within 48 hours prior to entry, or a negative antigen test result completed within 24 hours prior to boarding, followed by another PCR test upon arrival.

The South Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported that 103 of the 327 travelers from China tested positive for the virus on Jan. 4, that is, 31.5 percent, reported KBS World.

Between Dec. 29 and Jan. 3, the percentage of Chinese nationals who tested positive in imported cases of KDCA data stood at 42 percent, The Korea Times reported.

Starting Jan. 7, travelers from Hong Kong and Macau will also be required to submit negative pre-entry COVID test results, according to the South Korea authorities.

China Opposes the Measures

South Korean restrictions began after China loosened up its zero-COVID policy on Dec. 26, and announced it will reopen its borders starting Jan. 8.

After the sudden changes in the Chinese regime’s COVID management policy, many countries responded by imposing restrictions and test requirements for travelers arriving from China.

The United States also require all travelers from China to show a negative COVID-19 test result before they can fly to the country starting on Jan. 5.

American officials were concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding the recent COVID surge in China.

In a press briefing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the restrictions imposed by the international community on travelers from China were not “science based,” the measures were for “political purposes,” and that China will take “corresponding” and “reciprocal” measures.

Li Yan contributed to this report.