The government has defended its position against imposing an all-out entry ban on foreigners, saying that many South Koreans also need to go abroad for essential business. 

In a regular press briefing on Sunday, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo explained why the government is not fully banning foreigners from entering the country to block the inflow of COVID-19 cases.

Park said that many South Koreans need to make overseas trips for business and the government should leave some room for them to go abroad by not enforcing a complete entry ban on foreigners. 

The minister said that it would be more reasonable for countries to enforce tightened entry restrictions rather than to impose a complete entry ban for the sake of public and national interests.

The government on Sunday announced a plan to impose a two-week mandatory quarantine on all people arriving from overseas, but did not introduce a complete entry ban on foreigners despite rising calls for such a measure.