South Korea reopens border to tourists

[Mattg]

South Korea is reopening from 1 April. If you're vaccinated, you'll shortly be able to travel there as a tourist and won't have to quarantine.

South Korea Finally Reopening For Tourism After Two Years Of Strict Border Lockdowns

Vaccinated tourists can again enter South Korea quarantine-free from April 1, as the country eases more travel rules.

www.traveloffpath.com

 

[http_x92]

Also noticed that QF flights operated by Asiana Airlines are coming back soon, around July.

Jetstar will also fly to Seoul in September.

 

[auriga]

Just need to get rid of the pre departure test now!

 

[futurism]

Its the on arrival test that I think is the problem

I have recently recovered from COVID and plan to travel to SK in mid May

if I test positive before departure, I wont go, but I have seen at least 4 people now reporting their pre departure PCR was negative, and their on arrival was positive, some of whom had recovered from COVID over a month prior

SK are not recognising any proof of recovery issued outside of SK, and I dont know how to get one in Australia anyway other than the SMS I got from Vic Health confirming how long I had to quarantine for.

If you test positive on arrival its 7 days quarantine, if you are only going for a week thats a pretty disappointing holiday.

It remains unclear for those people where they are quarantining, they have been waiting in their hotel for 3 days with no info, or have been moved and are not posting info, or maybe they fled!

 

[http_x92]

Looks like Qantas is pretty confident here with new flights to Seoul just announced in December 2022. QF Airbus A330s as expected.

Tough competition with Korean Air and Asiana (despite having a codeshare with them) but we will see.

 

[eastwest101]

Looks like Qantas is pretty confident here with new flights to Seoul just announced in December 2022. QF Airbus A330s as expected.

Tough competition with Korean Air and Asiana (despite having a codeshare with them) but we will see.

I see that the three times a week JQi SYD-ICN, I know South Korea has a large and growing trading relationship with Australia, and its good that Qantas has finally woken up to the fact that South Korea (and India) exist, but I can't understand what Qantstar are trying to achieve here, as Asiana (OZ) and Korean Air KE) both have a far superior product and almost equivalent costs to Jetstar, surely Jetstar and Qantas are going to get their cough handed to them by their competitors here with direct QF A330 flights from the 10th Dec?

I note that the JQi option via OOL has been dropped out from Nov onwards, less leisure outbound tourism from South Korea but the timing of commencement would suggest catering more for foreign students maybe? Extremely illogical pricing behavior with some days they have JQi undercutting QFi whom are undercutting their own-code share partners OZ?

 

[Pushka]

North Korea has recorded its first case and it's believed according to the media that vaccination rates are non existent.

 

[drron]

North Korea has recorded its first case and it's believed according to the media that vaccination rates are non existent.

Probably testing rates non existent as well.

 

[jase05]

North Korea has recorded its first case and it's believed according to the media that vaccination rates are non existent.

350,000 today, that first case only a couple of days ago must have been some super, duper spreader extraordinaire

 

[Pushka]

350,000 today, that first case only a couple of days ago must have been some super, duper spreader extraordinaire

I read that if one was reported publically then that was the tiny tip of the iceberg. Could be devastating for them if their vaccination rates are poor.

 

[exLXCXFF]

Looks like Qantas is pretty confident here with new flights to Seoul just announced in December 2022. QF Airbus A330s as expected.

Tough competition with Korean Air and Asiana (despite having a codeshare with them) but we will see.

Is it reasonable to believe that the points needed for a one-way J ticket is 82,000 QF points on QF metal (ie same as to Tokyo)? The QF redeem points calculator has not yet been adjusted to reflect Incheon.

 

[http_x92]

Is it reasonable to believe that the points needed for a one-way J ticket is 82,000 QF points on QF metal (ie same as to Tokyo)? The QF redeem points calculator has not yet been adjusted to reflect Incheon.

Looked at it myself and yes it is pretty much the same as Tokyo with 82k points one way on J.

Good J availability to Seoul and back next year, even seeing it as a Bronze.

 

[Mattg]

The requirement to get a COVID test on arrival in South Korea is now gone.

South Korea to remove COVID-19 testing for visitors on arrival from 1 October

South Korea is set to make travel even easier for visitors by removing the COVID-19 testing requirement for visitors on the day of arrival.

www.lifestyleasia.com

 

[drron]

I note they have also dropped the mask mandate.
Normality is slowly returning.