Health authorities are urging foreign residents in the country to complete their vaccination, including booster shots, amid a rising number of COVID-19 infections among those who are not fully vaccinated.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said on Wednesday that the vaccination rate among foreign nationals was discussed among the ministries of foreign affairs, justice, interior, labor and gender equality.
Infections among foreigners have surged since the fourth week of December, when the figure accounted for three-point-five percent of overall cases. By the second week of January, the group accounted for 14-point-two percent of new cases in the country, or three-thousand-510.
While it is growing, the vaccination rate of foreign nationals is lower than Korean citizens with only 28-point-seven percent having received boosters. Of foreign residents who have tested positive, 68-point-three percent were either unvaccinated or had completed just one round of shots.
Authorities note cases on U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) bases in Pyeongtaek, Gunsan and Osan continue to rise, while group infections at workplaces and private gatherings are also being reported.