Chinese arrivals fall below 1,000 per day following outbreak: data
A man wearing a face mask rides a bicycle to pass the Chinatown's main entrance gate in Incheon, In this Feb. 14, 2020, photo,Korea. AP
The number of Chinese nationals entering South Korea has fallen sharply following measures to contain the new coronavirus outbreak, government data showed Saturday.
After peaking at 18,743, Jan. 13, the number plunged around 94 percent to 1,093, Thursday, according to data announced in a briefing by Korea Immigration Service Commissioner Cha Gyu-geun.
Cha said the number gradually fell from around 5,350, Feb. 4, to 870 ― this year's lowest figure ― Friday, in the wake of the government's entry restrictions.
Of the 870, 462 were Chinese nationals enrolled in local universities, while the remainder were mostly long-term residents of South Korea.
The figures marked a sharp fall from last year, when 2,000 to 4,000 students would enter during this time of the year ahead of the new school year that starts in March, Cha explained.
The immigration service chief said that 327,110 Koreans arrived here from China in January, while 35,144 came here this month.
The government has tightened entry procedures and announced support measures for current Chinese residents to help prevent the contagious COVID-19 from spreading further.
Earlier this month, it temporarily banned the entry of all foreigners traveling via Hubei Province, China, and suspended a visa-free entry program to the southern resort island of Jeju.
At the same time, it automatically extended permits for around 136,000 foreign nationals whose visas are set to expire at the end of April to minimize visits to immigration offices.
The education authorities in Seoul and Beijing have also agreed to advise South Korean and Chinese students studying in each other's country to refrain from returning to school until the situation has stabilized. (Yonhap)