ROK and Inter-Korean relations
March 2020
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South Korea says sanctions do not aim to bring down North Korea
Sanctions on North Korea aim to pressure it to give up its nuclear ambitions, not to bring down the government, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday.
“Sanctions are not an end in themselves and not meant to bring down North Korea but to make it understand that its future lies not in nuclear weapons but in working with the global community toward denuclearlization,” Kang said.
“Our consistent message should be that it must make the right decision. And if it does, we are ready to work together toward a brighter and prosperous future for North Korea.
[SK] [Sanctions] [Unilateral disarmament]
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More Countries Ban Travelers from Korea
By Pak Soo-chan
February 25, 2020 10:01
Hong Kong has banned all travelers from Korea due to the explosive rise in coronavirus infections here over the weekend. All Koreans who do not live in Hong Kong and any foreigners who visited Korea over the last 14 days are prohibited from entering Hong Kong.
Officials there checked passengers aboard four Korean flights that arrived on Monday and placed visitors from Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province on a monitoring list. The Hong Kong government also issued a travel advisory recommending that citizens avoid traveling to Korea.
Taiwan said is placing all visitors from Korea under 14 days of quarantine starting Tuesday. Taipei raised its travel advisory to Korea to "warning" on Monday, advising all Taiwanese to avoid traveling to Korea unless absolutely necessary.
Korean tourists board an Israeli charter plane in Tel Aviv on Monday. /Yonhap
Israel, which already closed its door to new Korean visitors, decided to send back 1,000 Korean tourists who are currently there. The Korean Embassy in Israel issued an urgent notice on Monday and said the Israeli government prepared two charter flights to transport them safely back home on Tuesday. Some 200 returned on Tuesday and another 200 are set to arrive later this afternoon.
A group of Korean honeymooners who visited the island nation of Mauritius have been quarantined by government officials there. Mauritius barred the 34 Koreans who arrived there on Sunday. Some of the honeymooners are pregnant.
[Coronavirus]
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Over 30 Countries Restrict Travelers from Korea
By Pak Soo-chan, Kim Jin-myung
February 27, 2020 12:59
More than 30 countries are either banning or restricting travelers from Korea, including some parts of China, where the virus is rampant.
Japan on Wednesday banned any foreigners who have visited Daegu and Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the decision in a meeting to discuss responses to the outbreak. Japan had already banned travelers from China's Hubei and Zhejiang provinces.
A man puts up a sign banning Koreans and Japanese at an apartment complex in Shandong Province, China, in this photo from Twitter.
El Salvador and Seychelles banned all visitors from Korea, and the Philippines and Vietnam all travelers from Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province.
Fears are spreading among Korean expats that authorities in their host cities could force them into quarantine as central governments there decline to take responsibility.
The Chinese central government is not banning travelers from Korea, according to Cheong Wa Dae, but some regions including Shanghai are
[Coronavirus]
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