1. On March 13, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited the diplomatic corps in the Republic of Korea to watch quarantine procedures before departure and upon arrival at the Incheon International Airport (Terminal 1).

o The Foreign Ministry held the event in cooperation with the Incheon Airport National Quarantine Station of the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention of the Ministry of Health and Welfare as well as the Incheon International Airport Corporation. The diplomatic corps in the ROK from about 40 countries participated in the event.
 
o The event takes place once in the morning (11:00-12:00) and another in the afternoon (16:00-17:00), and 15 ambassadors to the ROK took part in the event.

2. The event was designed to help the diplomatic corps in the ROK experience the ROK’s quarantine system to combat COVID-19 firsthand, which was explained at the 2nd briefing session on the ROK government’s response to COVID-19, organized by the Foreign Ministry on March 6 for the diplomatic corps in the ROK and chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha.

3. The diplomatic corps in the ROK and Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Kim Gunn were briefed on quarantine procedures before departure by the President & CEO of the Incheon International Airport Corporation; moved on to the arrival hall inside the airport and were briefed on Special Entry Procedures by the Head of the Incheon Airport National Quarantine Station; watched the process for fever checks at the departure hall inside the airport; and went back to the arrival hall to see how Health Questionnaires are collected and how Special Entry Procedures are carried out.

o The diplomatic corps showed significant interest in the ROK’s preemptive quarantine procedures before departure and efficient quarantine system upon arrival using advanced information technologies. In particular, they asked various questions on how to check for fever before departure as well as ways to prevent the inflow of infectious diseases through Health Questionnaires and the Self-Diagnosis App.

4. The event is expected to contribute to facilitating exchanges between the participating countries and the ROK by deepening the diplomatic corps’ understanding and confidence in the ROK’s quarantine procedures before departure and upon arrival.