▲ Chinese travelers arrive at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on Feb. 9, 2023. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) Chinese travelers-visa

(2nd LD) S. Korea to resume short-term visa issuance for travelers from China

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in 4th, 6th paras)

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will resume issuing short-term visas for travelers from China this weekend, a ranking government official said Friday.

The government made the decision to restart issuing visas Saturday as China's COVID-19 infection wave has peaked and begun to subside, Kim Seong-ho, an interior ministry official, said during a government meeting.

On Jan. 2, South Korea tightened curbs on travelers from China amid a surge in COVID-19 infections in the neighboring nation, halting the issuance of short-term visas from its diplomatic missions in China and requiring arrivals from China to undergo a coronavirus test before and after their arrival.

The government will review gradually easing such COVID-19 restrictions for those coming from China after comprehensively assessing future virus situations, Kim noted.

The rate of COVID-19-positive people among arrivals from China stood at 1.1 percent last week, down sharply from a peak of over 30 percent previously, according to health officials.

In South Korea, the daily new virus tally came down to the 13,000 range on Friday, the lowest figure for a Friday in 32 weeks, the ministry official also said, adding, "The downward virus curve has continued on despite the lifting of the indoor mask mandate on Jan. 30."

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