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| Terminal 1 at Incheon international airport is crowded with people arriving in the country on June 1. Yonhap |
By Ko Dong-hwan
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| Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks during Friday's meeting with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency at Government Complex in Seoul. Yonhap |
However, visitors will still be required to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or a rapid antigen test prior to entering the country and another PCR test will be required within three days of arrival.
The lifting of the regulation came as COVID-19 infections in the country have been steadily declining over the past few weeks. Daily infection cases for Thursday stood at 12,542, down by 4,038 cases from May 27 and also down by 12,578 from May 20, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The agency lifted the outdoor face mask regulation in early May except in crowded places after seeing the continuing downtrend of COVID-19 cases.
The government's decision was based on a stabilized infection trend, plus the medical support measures for COVID-19 patients throughout the country, allowing Korea to recover to something more closely resembling a pre-pandemic era. This has been carried out as quickly as possible to minimize the public's inconvenience, according to the prime minister who attended the KDCA's Friday meeting at the Government Complex in Seoul.
"The downward trend was evident this week as well, and available hospital beds are maintained at a rate of 90 percent, keeping the medical service at hospitals up and running safely for COVID-19 patients," Han said at the meeting. "The central government will now boost supporting psychological consultations for the mental health of those who suffered from the disease, including economically vulnerable groups."
Han added that measures placed on Incheon International Airport to control the volume of inbound flights to minimize the risk of COVID-19 contagion within the country's largest airport will be lifted as of June 8. With the stabilized disease trend, the airport no longer needs to limit the number of flights. The measures had prevented the airport from meeting a sharp increase in travel demand recently.
The measures placed on the airport created inconveniences like a shortage of available airplane tickets that led to a surge in prices.
"With the lifting of the airport regulations on June 8, Incheon airport will provide flights to everyone whenever they want," Han said.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation also announced Friday that international flight schedules at Incheon airport will return to normal, providing an unlimited number of flights to overseas travelers. It's been two years and two months since the ministry limited the hourly inbound flight volume at the airport, reducing it from 40 to 20.
The ministry will also start operating the airport on a 24-hour schedule as of June 8, thereby canceling the "curfew" on the international flight schedule that was in place at the airport from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
"More flights will be available and flight schedules will diversify in no time," the ministry said. "People will be able to pursue various destinations at affordable prices once more."
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