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Yesterday (7 days) The number of corona19 confirmed patients increased by 53 per day. It maintains around 50 people for three consecutive days, of which 24 cases have exceeded 45 or 45%. The government has decided to limit foreign entry to reduce the influx of infectious diseases into the country. For 148 countries around the world that are virtually banning Koreans from entering the country, they decided to restrict their citizens' entry into Korea in accordance with 'mutualism'.

Reporter Han Ji-yeon reports.

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Currently, 148 countries, including 120 countries, which have banned all foreigners from entering the country have been banned. The government has decided to temporarily suspend visa exemption and visa-free entry for countries that prohibit Koreans from entering Korea.

[Jung Se-Gyun / Prime Minister: We will temporarily suspend visa exemption and visa-free entry for countries that prohibit our citizens from entering the country, and expand the international limit for foreigners who do not need it.]

It is expected that 88 countries, including 34 countries without entry into Australia and Canada, and 54 countries with visa-free agreements such as Thailand, Russia and France, will be targeted.

The government says 30% of recent immigrants are foreigners with short stays of 90 days or less, and expect their influx to decrease significantly if they stop visa waiver.

Only citizens of some countries without visas that do not prevent Koreans from entering the United States, the United Kingdom, and Mexico can easily enter the country as they are now.

[Kim Kang-lip / Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare: Minimize the burden on the quarantine authorities or medical staff, but at the same time, it should be discussed at the level of national interests that should be considered by the diplomatic and the whole country together.]

The government will announce follow-up measures, such as the exemption of visas tomorrow morning, the exact date of implementation and exceptions to the suspension of visa-free entry.

(Video coverage: Kim Min-cheol, video editing: Ha Sung-won)