1. The Republic of Korea and Japan have agreed to start implementing “a special entry procedure for Korean and Japanese business people[1],” on October 8.

2. During their telephone conversation on September 24, the leaders of the ROK and Japan had welcomed the forthcoming agreement on the special entry procedure for essential personnel and shared the understanding that the agreement would be helpful to the development of the bilateral relations as a catalyst for resuming people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

3. When Korean entrepreneurs use the “Business Track” scheme under the agreement, they should obtain a visa after submitting to the Japanese Embassy or Consulate-General in the ROK a written oath and an activity plan drawn up by the inviting company in Japan and undergo the special quarantine procedure agreed upon by the two countries. Then, they will be allowed to carry out economic activities in Japan without quarantine upon their arrival in the country.

4. With the agreement in place, people-to-people exchanges will fully resume starting with entrepreneurs, with Japan, which is the ROK’s No. 3 partner for trade and No. 2 partner for people-to-people exchanges. The ROK government will continue efforts to make the ROK-Japan special entry procedure available to a wider range of Korean business people and support their business activities.

※ By reaching the agreement, the ROK has institutionalized a special entry procedure for business people with Japan after the People’s Republic of China on May 1, the United Arab Emirates on August 5, the Republic of Indonesia on August 17 and the Republic of Singapore on September 4. For Japan, the ROK is the second country with which it implements the Business Track after Singapore (from September 18).

5. Inquiries regarding Korean entrepreneurs’ departure to Japan will be answered at the Business Travel Support Center (Tel: 02-1566-8110, www. btsc.or.kr), and those regarding departure to Japan by Koreans hired and waiting to start work in Japanese companies should be made at the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (Tel: 02-1577-9997, www. worldjob.or.kr). For information on the Japanese visa procedure, please contact the consular section of the Japanese Embassy in the ROK (Tel: 02-739-7400).