France is likely to lift its entry ban on South Korea and some other countries outside the European Union.  

An official at the South Korean Embassy in France said on Thursday that the French government has decided to lift the ban and will soon make the announcement.  

The planned move will allow visa-free entry of South Koreans visiting France for short-term trips.

The Council of the European Union adopted a recommendation on Tuesday on the gradual lifting of the temporary restriction on non-essential travel into the region. 

The Council released a list of 14 nations whose citizens will be allowed to enter the EU's 27 member countries and four other nations in Europe's visa-free Schengen travel zone. The list includes South Korea, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Thailand.