South Korea to allow quarantine-free entry for fully vaccinated visitors

The measure will be welcomed by South Korea’s foreigner-only casinos, who have been seriously affected by the lack of tourists.

South Korea.- The South Korean government has announced the easing Covid-19 countermeasures. From April 1, the current mandatory seven-day quarantine on arrival will be lifted for those who have been fully vaccinated with three doses against Covid-19.

The measure will apply to Jeju Island, where many casinos are located. The announcement was well-received by South Korean casinos, of which all but one cater to foreign visitors only. In 2021, the 16 foreigner-only casinos saw their revenue drop by nearly 31.9 per cent compared to the previous year, coming in at KRW407.13bn. 

Total casino revenue was down 59.7 per cent compared to KRW2.93tn in 2019, the most recent trading year before the Covid-19 pandemic hit travel and tourism.

In January, Jeju island was considering whether it is possible to allow its land-based casinos to provide remote gambling to foreign players as a way to help the industry recover. However, authorities ruled out the possibility of allowing South Korean nationals to gamble as they received many opinions against the idea.