The suspension of the agreement between South Korea and Russia on the mutual abolition of visa requirements does not affect the owners of diplomatic and service passports, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2020) The suspension of the agreement between South Korea and Russia on the mutual abolition of visa requirements does not affect the owners of diplomatic and service passports, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
Earlier this week, South Korea halted visa-free entry to the country and suspended agreements with 90 countries, including Russia, concerning short-term visas due to coronavirus fears.
"In light of the spread of the new coronavirus infection, starting from ... April 13, 2020, the government of the Republic of Korea decided to temporarily suspend until further notice the agreement between the Russian government and the government of the Republic of Korea on the mutual cancellation of visa requirements dated November 13, 2013. This measure does not affect holders of diplomatic and service passports," the Consular Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Facebook.
According to the South Korean authorities, they decided to abandon the visa-free regime due to the growing number of imported COVID-19 cases. Moreover, Seoul required those who arrived in South Korea for a short period of time to undergo a 14-day quarantine in special places of temporary residence set by the government, which brought costs and problems to the government if people refused to obey the authorities' instructions.
