Cheong Wa Dae has dismissed claims that it's currying favor with China and disregarding the safety of South Koreans with regard to its response to the fast-spreading COVID-19.
South Korea has maintianed limited travel restrictions against people who have stayed in China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus, while critics have called for an across-the-board travel ban for China.
Presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok reiterated on Thursday that current measures were implemented after a review of the best response with safety of the people considered top priority.
He stressed that "special immigration procedures" on Chinese nationals are being implemented "effectively," including checks on address and contact information, health condition, and disinfection.
The official also noted the sharp drop in Chinese visitors as a result of the measures and the common view in the international community that infectious diseases can be overcome not by containment but by cross-border cooperation.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
