1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the diplomatic corps in the Republic of Korea (ROK), will actively carry out the government-wide “social distancing” campaign designed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

° The Ministry, in a bid to fully implement the reinforced, 15-day “social distancing” campaign announced by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters over COVID-19 on March 21, plans to provide guidance for the diplomatic corps and foreigners in the ROK and ask for their cooperation, implement social distancing in diplomatic activities, and carry out its own internal measures.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will recommend the foreign diplomats to the ROK to refrain from holding such diplomatic events as receptions for the time being, and ask them to actively promote the “social distancing” campaign to their nationals staying in the ROK through the embassy websites and social media.

° To this end, the Deputy Minister for Protocol Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked the dean of the diplomatic corps in the ROK, the Ambassador of the Gabonese Republic, on March 23 that the diplomatic corps take an active part in the enhanced, 15-day “social distancing” campaign. The Ministry also plans to send diplomatic notes to all of the 136 foreign missions in the ROK, including embassies and international organizations, asking for their cooperation in encouraging their nationals’ participation in the drive.

3. Under the principle that diplomatic activities are no exceptions for the containment of the spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is refraining from overseas trips and face-to-face meetings to the extent possible and actively using telephone and video conferences. Internally, in order to minimize the population density in the office, the Ministry is actively enforcing work shifts and flexible working hours, while making full commitment to work.

4. Through the aforementioned measures, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to smoothly carry out its functions as part of the government-wide COVID-19 response and thereby contribute to the efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the ROK as soon as possible.