<Anchor> This is a



friendly economic time. Today (3rd) I will be with reporter Kim Hye-min. Due to the mutation of Omicron, the world is in a very confusing situation right now, and I think it will be a little confusing for those who are preparing for travel, especially with measures to restrict entry in each country.



<Reporter>



Anyone entering Korea from today must self-isolate. Newlyweds and travelers who have already gone abroad are experiencing great confusion.



It's an urgent situation because of the Omicron virus. For now, rather than blaming the government for implementing the policy without notice, it would be more appropriate to bear this level of confusion.



Still, I think it's necessary to accurately convey the current situation and tell you how to reduce the damage. Let's focus here and explain.



First of all, it has become much more difficult for those who have already left the country and are abroad to enter Korea. In the meantime, if you had completed the vaccination, you could enter Korea right away if only the PCR test was negative.



From 00:00 today to 12:00 pm on the 16th, all those entering the country at this time, Koreans and foreigners, must self-isolate for 10 days. Of course, this period may be extended in the future.



<Anchor>



So, what reporter Kim has been talking about until now is when he came to Korea. So, is there self-quarantine when leaving Korea and when leaving the country? 



<Reporter>



There are quite a few people who are preparing to travel abroad this winter, but since the Omicron virus is spreading to each country, the necessity of self-quarantine in each country is changing in real time.



Those who made a reservation through a travel agency should inquire directly with the travel agency, or if you are going on a free tour, you should check this directly through the Korean embassy, ​​etc. Of course, the safest way is to cancel the overseas trip itself.



When the Omicron virus first spread, there were only inquiries from travel agencies, but after the government announced the quarantine measures, inquiries about cancellation have continued. In fact, it is said that a lot of reservation cancellations are coming out.



<Anchor>



Reporter Kim, another thing I'm curious about is that there are travel bubble countries that have signed agreements exempting quarantine. Singapore and Saipan seem to be countries like this. How is the situation there?



<Reporter> The



government announced yesterday that it would exempt these countries from self-quarantine. Saipan and Singapore signed a 'travel bubble' with Korea a few months ago.



The 'travel bubble' refers to countries that have confidence in quarantine management to exempt each other from quarantine and allow people to travel freely. The two countries will continue to be exempt from self-quarantine in the future. 



However, it is important to note that the travel bubble can be stopped at any time depending on the influence of Omicron. Also, if it is suddenly stopped without notice, it may cause confusion just like travelers from other countries.



“I can go to these two countries because I don’t have to self-quarantine.” Rather than thinking like this, for now, it is best to put safety first and refrain from traveling as much as possible.



<Anchor> You



don't know what will happen in the future. In this case, it would be good to think a little more conservatively. Lastly, there are people who are still thinking about traveling abroad. So, I'm sure some of them are trying to make a reservation now, so what's the best way to do it?



<Reporter>



You may be thinking, "I don't know what will happen in the future, but let's make a reservation when the price is cheap." The most important thing at this time is "Can I cancel this at any time without penalty?"



If you look at recent cases, if you made a reservation through a large travel agency, in case of such an urgent situation, most of the time, it will be canceled without a penalty even a day in advance.



Reservation through a travel agency refers to a planned product that is bundled together, such as a package or honeymoon trip, rather than making a separate ticket and hotel reservation.



Also, in the case of airline tickets, Korean Air and Asiana are exempting from penalty fees when refunds are required due to government quarantine measures.



The problem is when you make a separate reservation for a foreign airline or an overseas hotel, but in this case, the penalties are strict and there are cases where refunds are not possible after the date.



It is safe to read the contract carefully before making a reservation and choose a product that can be canceled at any time, even if it is a little expensive.

Again, the safest thing to do is not to travel when it's dangerous.