The South Korean government plans to consider expanding entry restrictions to more countries after monitoring the risk and spread of the new coronavirus variant Omicron. 

Health authorities said on Sunday afternoon that they plan to expand or adjust the list of countries subject to tougher quarantine measures and entry restrictions while monitoring the variant situation. 

The government held an emergency meeting on Saturday and decided to restrict visa issuance and arrivals from eight African countries in order to block the inflow of the new variant.

Starting Sunday, travelers from South Africa, which identified the variant first, and surrounding countries – Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi – are subject to visa restrictions and tougher quarantine measures.

Under the move, the government will minimize visa issuance for these countries and place a mandatory quarantine on South Korean arrivals for ten days at designated facilities regardless of their vaccination status.