hiv travel to korea

Korea (Democratic People s Republic) - Regulations on Entry, Stay and Residence for PLHIV

Restriction categories relative to korea (democratic people s republic).

• Countries without restrictions
• Countries deporting people with HIV

HIV-specific entry and residence regulations for Korea (Democratic People s Republic)

There is no legal provision regarding the entry of people with HIV/AIDS. Not everybody is requested to present a medical certificate or a specific document of an AIDS examination when entering the country.

The only existing official document on the question is an agreement reached in September 1996 between the Central Office for Hygienic Control of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the General Administration for Control of the People's Republic of China. This agreement states that the owners of AIDS certificates are  not considered to be sick of AIDS .

There are no specific regulations regarding the stay of foreigners with HIV/AIDS. There are no treatment facilities for people with HIV/AIDS.

(Source: 1)

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of North Korea.

(Source: 2)

HIV treatment information for Korea (Democratic People s Republic)

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has no experience in treating people with AIDS, as there is no AIDS case reported in the country. This is why those concerned are sent back to their country of origin, since they should be treated in countries with sufficient experience in the matter. 

In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Ministry of Health is responsible for the prevention and control of AIDS. 

HIV information / HIV NGOs in Korea (Democratic People s Republic)

Global criminalisation of hiv transmission scan.

• Ministry of Health of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Pjongjang, February 2, 2000 / Juche 89 (transmitted by the Royal Swedish Embassy)
• U.S. Department Of State; Bureau of Consular Affairs;  https://travel.state.gov , December 19, 2018, consulted March 23, 2022

updated: 3/23/2022 Corrections and additions welcome. Please use the contact us form.

Comments on HIV-restrictions in Korea (Democratic People s Republic)

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Which Countries Restrict Travel to People With HIV?

It was only in 2010 that the United States finally lifted its 22-year ban on travelers with HIV , a law that prohibited all infected persons from obtaining tourist visas or permanent residence status in the U.S.. The order, initiated by George H.W. Bush in 2008, was made official by Barack Obama on January 4, 2010.

While efforts are being made to end similar laws throughout the world, the Global Database on HIV-Specific Travel & Residence Restrictions (a joint European initiative published by the International AIDS Society) reports that as of 2023, 56 out of 200 countries are known to have entry regulations for people living with HIV, and seven of these countries will categorically refuse entry without exception. In some of these countries, entry may be allowed, but there are restrictions depending on the length of stay. For example, 54 countries have restrictions on stays over 90 days (student and work visas); whereas less than 10 countries have laws that can affect travelers visiting for less than 90 days (tourists). Furthermore, 18 of these countries will deport visitors discovered to have HIV.

HIV Travel Restrictions in Practice

It is important to note, however, that there is often a lack of clarity about these laws, with some either not addressing HIV directly (describing only "infectious disease" concerns) or not enforcing the laws all that stringently, if at all. As such, the assessments provided below are couched in terms that best reflect whether an action "will," "can" or "may" take place.

Similarly, there is a lack of clarity about the import of antiretroviral drugs —whether the drugs are allowed for personal use; how much can be brought in if they are permitted; or if possession of such constitutes the right to deny entry.

For these reasons, it is advised that you always speak with the consulate or embassy of any of the listed destinations if you plan to visit.

Countries With Restrictions for People Living with HIV

Algeria (>90 days)

Aruba (>90 days)

Australia (>90 days)

Azerbaidjan (>90 days)

Bahrain (>90 days)

Belize (>90 days)

Bhutan (>2 weeks)

Bosnia Herzegovina (>90 days)

Brunei (no entry, will deport)

Cayman Islands (>90 days)

China (>90 days, will deport)

Cuba (>90 days)

Cyprus (>90 days)

Dominican Republic (>90 days)

Egypt (>90 days, will deport)

Equatorial Guinea (no entry, will deport)

Honduras (>90 days)

Iran (>90 days)

Iraq (>10 days, possible deportation)

Israel (>90 days)

Jordan (no entry, will deport)

Kazakhstan (>90 days)

Kuwait (>90 days, will deport)

Kyrgyzstan (>60 days)

Lebanon (>90 days, will deport)

Malaysia (>90 days, will deport)

Marshall Islands (>30 days)

Mauritius (>90 days)

Montserrat (>90 days)

Nicaragua (>90 days)

North Korea (will deport)

Oman (>90 days, will deport)

Papua New Guinea (>6 months)

Paraguay (>90 days)

Qatar (>1 month, will deport)

Russia (>90 days, will deport)

Samoa (>90 days)

Saudi Arabia (>90 days, will deport)

Seychelles (>90 days)

Singapore (>90 days)

Slovakia (>90 days)

Solomon Islands (no entry, will deport)

St. Kitts and Nevis (>90 days)

St. Vincent and Grenadines (>90 days)

Sudan (>90 days)

Suriname (entry restrictions)

Syria (>90 days, will deport)

Tonga (>90 days)

Tunisia (>30 days)

Turks and Caicos Islands (>90 days)

United Arab Emirates (UAE) (no entry, will deport)

Uzbekistan (>90 days)

Virgin Islands (>90 days)

Yemen (no entry, will deport)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Medical examination of aliens—Removal of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection from definition of communicable disease of public health significance. Final rule . Fed Regist.  2009;74:56547–56562.

The Global Database on HIV-Specific Travel & Residence Restrictions. Regulations on entry, stay and residence for PLHIV .

By James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, MD Dr. Sifris is an HIV specialist and Medical Director of LifeSense Disease Management. Myhre is a journalist and HIV educator.

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Travel restrictions for people with HIV

• A number of countries restrict the entry and/or residence of people with HIV.
• Tourism or business trips are generally possible, even in countries with entry bans.
• Long-term restrictions related to work or study permits are strictly enforced.
• Undetectability is never taken into account.

Some countries limit entry for people with HIV. However, the number of countries restricting travel by people with HIV has reduced in recent years. Short-term trips usually have fewer restrictions and checks may be less consistently carried out. The rules tend to be more strictly enforced for longer-term stays, such as those requiring a work visa.

Can I travel if I am living with HIV?

Yes. Many countries clearly state that your HIV status will not affect whether you can visit, stay, or work. Most countries do not require any type of medical tests for short-term or long-term stays.

However, there are still some countries which do limit entry for people living with HIV. A small number of these have an entry ban. This means that if you travel to these countries and you are living with HIV, you might not be allowed to enter.

In other countries, restrictions only apply to longer stays. You might be allowed to enter for a short time (such as for a holiday), but not be allowed to work or live there. In these countries, you may have to take an HIV test or declare your HIV status when applying for a visa or residency permit. In some cases, you might not be asked for information about HIV, but if you are found to have HIV you could be deported (made to leave).

Travel restrictions for people living with HIV are complex and they change from country to country.  Not all countries have specific immigration laws relating to HIV, but declaring your HIV status can still sometimes cause issues. 

Travel restrictions apply even if you have an undetectable viral load. 

Which countries have HIV travel restrictions?

This page has general guidance on current regulations across different continents, based on information from the website www.hivtravel.org . This is provided by Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe, the European AIDS Treatment Group and the International AIDS Society.

Please note that the regulations may have changed since the time of writing. Before you make any travel plans, including to live or work abroad, we recommend you check the www.hivtravel.org website for up-to-date details by country. There is also a feedback form for those who need additional advice or have information to improve the site.

North America

For entry and short-term stays, there are generally no restrictions for people living with HIV travelling to North America.

In the US, people entering with prescription medication, including HIV medication , need to carry a doctor’s certificate in English, stating that the drugs are required to treat a personal condition.

Find out more: Travelling with HIV medication

In Canada, you have to take an HIV test if you plan to stay for more than six months. All long-term visitors are assessed in terms of how much ‘excessive demand’ they might put on the Canadian health service. A cost of more than CA$24,057 a year is considered ‘excessive’, but the cost of many publicly funded HIV medications is less than this amount.

Central and South America

For entry and short-term stays, there are generally no restrictions for people living with HIV travelling to Central and South America.

There are restrictions on long-term stays in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Paraguay. In Paraguay, for example, those travelling to the country because they want to apply for permanent residency have to take an HIV test. A residence permit won’t be granted if the test is positive, unless you can pay for your treatment yourself.

For Aruba, Belize, Nicaragua, and Suriname, the regulations are unclear or inconclusive. Contact their respective embassies for guidance before travelling.

For entry and short-term stays, there are generally no restrictions for people living with HIV travelling to the Caribbean.

Cuba, the Dominican Republic, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos, and the Virgin Islands all have restrictions on long-term stays. For example, in St Vincent and the Grenadines, work permits are not renewed in the case of a positive HIV test result and HIV-positive foreigners have no access to treatment and services.

In the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis and St Vincent and the Grenadines, regulations are unclear or inconclusive. No information is available for Bermuda. Contact their respective embassies for guidance before travelling.

Sub-Saharan Africa

There are generally few restrictions for people living with HIV travelling to sub-Saharan Africa. However, in Equatorial Guinea, you may have to present an HIV test certificate. If you are HIV positive you might be refused entry or deported.

The following countries have restrictions on long-term stays: Equatorial Guinea, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Sudan.

Regulations are unclear or inconclusive in Angola and there is no information available for São Tomé and Prinicipe. Contact their respective embassies for guidance before travelling.

North Africa and the Middle East

Most of the countries that restrict entry based on HIV status are in North Africa and the Middle East.

Living with HIV may mean you are not allowed to enter Jordan, Iran, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, or Yemen, even for a short stay. However, there are no restrictions if you’re passing through Dubai in transit as an airline passenger.

Countries with restrictions, or potential restrictions, on long-term stays include Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Tunisia. Almost all these countries will also deport people based on their HIV status.

Note that regulations are unclear or inconclusive in Iran, Qatar, and Tunisia. You are advised to contact their respective embassies for guidance before travelling.

Western, northern and southern Europe

For entry and short-term stays, there are generally no restrictions for people living with HIV travelling to western, northern, or southern Europe.

In Cyprus, people from outside the EU who are applying for a temporary residence permit have to prove they don’t have HIV before a permit will be issued. However, this rule doesn't apply to diplomatic personnel and high-ranking company employees.

Central and eastern Europe

In Russia, no HIV testing is required for short-term tourist stays (up to three months), but foreign residents found to be HIV positive are expelled. You are required to present a negative HIV test result for a stay longer than three months, or if you are using a multi-entry visa.

"Travel restrictions for people living with HIV are complex and they change from country to country."

In Bosnia and Azerbaijan, there are restrictions on long-term stays, and in Slovakia, people from outside the EU applying for a temporary residence permit have to prove they don’t have HIV before one is issued.

In Hungary, you have to report your HIV status when applying for a residence permit. However, being HIV positive can’t be used as a reason for denying your permit application.

Central Asia

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan all have restrictions on long-term visits, but the rules are unclear or inconclusive. Contact their respective embassies for guidance before travelling.

For entry and short-term stays, there are generally no restrictions for people living with HIV travelling to east Asia.

China used to ban short-term visitors with HIV, but it doesn’t anymore. However, the website www.hivtravel.org recommends that you don’t declare your status on visa application forms. It also advises that you should be careful with voluntary status declarations, such as wearing red ribbons. An HIV test is required for work and study visa applications of more than six months. However, Hong Kong and Macau have separate entry and visa regulations without any restrictions.

The only country in east Asia that deports people because of their HIV status is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).

South and south-east Asia

There are generally few restrictions on entry and short-term stays for people living with HIV travelling to south and south-east Asia.

However, people living with HIV are not allowed to enter Brunei and people who are found to be HIV positive can be deported. In Bhutan, you have to present the results of an HIV test that was taken in the six months before your visit if you want to stay longer than two weeks. People who test positive may be deported.

In the Maldives, Malaysia, and Singapore there are restrictions on longer-term stays.

The regulations in Malaysia and Sri Lanka are unclear or inconclusive. Contact their respective embassies prior to travelling for guidance.

For entry and short-term stays, there are generally no restrictions for people living with HIV travelling to Oceania. The exceptions to this are the Solomon Islands, where entry may be denied on the basis of HIV status, and the Marshall Islands, where HIV testing is required for temporary visitors staying more than 30 days.

In Australia, all long-term visa applicants over the age of 15 have to take an HIV test. For those under 15, an HIV test might also be carried out if you have a history of blood transfusions, your mother is living with HIV, or there is a medical sign that you might be living with HIV.

Long-term visa applicants who have any long-term health condition, including HIV, are considered according to how much they might cost the Australian health system. Information on this can be found on the Australian government’s website.

In New Zealand, people with HIV are assessed on a ‘case by case’ basis. If you are living with HIV and in a ‘long-term stable relationship’ with a New Zealand citizen, you will be granted an automatic medical waiver. This means your HIV status isn’t considered as part of your application for a visa or residency permit.

The following countries also have restrictions on long-term stays: Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands.

In the Solomon Islands and Tonga, the regulations are unclear or inconclusive. For French Polynesia and Kiribati there is no information available on travel restrictions relating to HIV status. Contact their respective embassies for guidance before travelling.

Can I travel into a country with entry restrictions?

If you’re living with HIV and you decide to travel to a country that does have entry restrictions you may be refused entry or deported. Some countries will offer waivers that let you visit in certain circumstances, such as if the trip is to visit family members, but they can be difficult to get.

Travel restrictions for people with HIV can change quickly and so they need to be checked before any trip. In countries where restrictions have been recently changed, you should take extra caution discussing your HIV status.

If you’re living with HIV you might have travelled into a country when a travel ban was in place. In this case, it’s important to know that there is still a risk of being deported even if the travel ban has now been lifted. This could happen if there was proof you knew your HIV status and still entered the country. In this case, you could be deported for breaking the law.

Can I travel with PrEP medication?

We are not aware of any countries that ban people who are travelling with PrEP. However, most countries limit the amount of prescription medication you can travel with. Usually, you will be able to take enough medication for up to a three-month stay. But should always check the rules for the countries you are travelling to and from, as some have stricter rules. It’s usually a good idea to bring your prescription with you .

If a country has entry restrictions for people with HIV, travelling with PrEP might cause problems. This is because customs officials might think the medication is for treating HIV. In extreme cases, it could even mean you are deported (made to leave the country). A letter from your doctor explaining PrEP is for HIV prevention might help.

Other useful information

When you contact an embassy or consulate to ask about travel restrictions, you can keep your name or HIV status anonymous. For British Overseas Territories, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website is a good place to start.

It may be helpful to contact an HIV organisation in the country you are travelling to and ask them for information.

There is more information about accessing HIV services and medication in some European and central Asian countries on the Stay on ART website.

You might also find the following pages useful:

• Travelling with HIV medication
• Travel insurance for people with HIV
• HIV and travel
• HIV criminalisation laws around the world

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South Korea Traveler View

Travel health notices, vaccines and medicines, non-vaccine-preventable diseases, stay healthy and safe.

• Packing List

After Your Trip

There are no notices currently in effect for South Korea.

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Check the vaccines and medicines list and visit your doctor at least a month before your trip to get vaccines or medicines you may need. If you or your doctor need help finding a location that provides certain vaccines or medicines, visit the Find a Clinic page.

Routine vaccines

Recommendations.

Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Some of these vaccines include

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
• Flu (influenza)
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)

Immunization schedules

All eligible travelers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. Please see  Your COVID-19 Vaccination  for more information. 

COVID-19 vaccine

Hepatitis A

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to South Korea.

Infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. The dose does not count toward the routine 2-dose series.

Travelers allergic to a vaccine component or who are younger than 6 months should receive a single dose of immune globulin, which provides effective protection for up to 2 months depending on dosage given.

Unvaccinated travelers who are over 40 years old, immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions planning to depart to a risk area in less than 2 weeks should get the initial dose of vaccine and at the same appointment receive immune globulin.

Hepatitis A - CDC Yellow Book

Dosing info - Hep A

Hepatitis B

Recommended for unvaccinated travelers younger than 60 years old traveling to South Korea. Unvaccinated travelers 60 years and older may get vaccinated before traveling to South Korea.

Hepatitis B - CDC Yellow Book

Dosing info - Hep B

Japanese Encephalitis

Recommended for travelers who

• Are moving to an area with Japanese encephalitis to live
• Spend long periods of time, such as a month or more, in areas with Japanese encephalitis
• Frequently travel to areas with Japanese encephalitis

Consider vaccination for travelers

• Spending less than a month in areas with Japanese encephalitis but will be doing activities that increase risk of infection, such as visiting rural areas, hiking or camping, or staying in places without air conditioning, screens, or bed nets
• Going to areas with Japanese encephalitis who are uncertain of their activities or how long they will be there

Not recommended for travelers planning short-term travel to urban areas or travel to areas with no clear Japanese encephalitis season. 

Japanese encephalitis - CDC Yellow Book

Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine for US Children

CDC recommends that travelers going to certain areas of South Korea take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Depending on the medicine you take, you will need to start taking this medicine multiple days before your trip, as well as during and after your trip. Talk to your doctor about which malaria medication you should take.

Find  country-specific information  about malaria.

Malaria - CDC Yellow Book

Considerations when choosing a drug for malaria prophylaxis (CDC Yellow Book)

Malaria information for South Korea.

Cases of measles are on the rise worldwide. Travelers are at risk of measles if they have not been fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure, or have not had measles in the past, and travel internationally to areas where measles is spreading.

All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, including an early dose for infants 6–11 months, according to  CDC’s measles vaccination recommendations for international travel .

Measles (Rubeola) - CDC Yellow Book

Dogs infected with rabies are not commonly found in South Korea.

Rabies is present in some terrestrial wildlife species.

If rabies exposures occur while in South Korea, rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country.

Rabies pre-exposure vaccination considerations include whether travelers 1) will be performing occupational or recreational activities that increase risk for exposure to potentially rabid animals and 2) might have difficulty getting prompt access to safe post-exposure prophylaxis.

Please consult with a healthcare provider to determine whether you should receive pre-exposure vaccination before travel.

For more information, see country rabies status assessments .

Rabies - CDC Yellow Book

Tick-borne Encephalitis

Avoid bug bites

Learn more about tick-borne encephalitis at your destination .

Tick-borne Encephalitis - CDC Yellow Book

Recommended for most travelers, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.

Typhoid - CDC Yellow Book

Dosing info - Typhoid

Yellow Fever

Required if traveling from a country with risk of YF virus transmission and ≥1 year of age. 1

Yellow Fever - CDC Yellow Book

Avoid contaminated water

Leptospirosis

How most people get sick (most common modes of transmission)

• Touching urine or other body fluids from an animal infected with leptospirosis
• Swimming or wading in urine-contaminated fresh water, or contact with urine-contaminated mud
• Drinking water or eating food contaminated with animal urine
• Avoid contaminated water and soil

Clinical Guidance

Airborne & droplet, avian/bird flu.

• Being around, touching, or working with infected poultry, such as visiting poultry farms or live-animal markets
• Avoid domestic and wild poultry
• Breathing in air or accidentally eating food contaminated with the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents
• Bite from an infected rodent
• Less commonly, being around someone sick with hantavirus (only occurs with Andes virus)
• Avoid rodents and areas where they live
• Avoid sick people

Tuberculosis (TB)

• Breathe in TB bacteria that is in the air from an infected and contagious person coughing, speaking, or singing.

Learn actions you can take to stay healthy and safe on your trip. Vaccines cannot protect you from many diseases in South Korea, so your behaviors are important.

Eat and drink safely

Food and water standards around the world vary based on the destination. Standards may also differ within a country and risk may change depending on activity type (e.g., hiking versus business trip). You can learn more about safe food and drink choices when traveling by accessing the resources below.

• Choose Safe Food and Drinks When Traveling
• Water Treatment Options When Hiking, Camping or Traveling
• Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene | Healthy Water
• Avoid Contaminated Water During Travel

You can also visit the  Department of State Country Information Pages  for additional information about food and water safety.

Prevent bug bites

Although South Korea is an industrialized country, bug bites here can still spread diseases. Just as you would in the United States, try to avoid bug bites while spending time outside or in wooded areas.

What can I do to prevent bug bites?

• Cover exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats.
• Use an appropriate insect repellent (see below).
• Consider using permethrin-treated clothing and gear if spending a lot of time outside. Do not use permethrin directly on skin.

What type of insect repellent should I use?

• FOR PROTECTION AGAINST TICKS AND MOSQUITOES: Use a repellent that contains 20% or more DEET for protection that lasts up to several hours.
• Picaridin (also known as KBR 3023, Bayrepel, and icaridin)
• Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD)
• 2-undecanone
• Always use insect repellent as directed.

What should I do if I am bitten by bugs?

• Avoid scratching bug bites, and apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to reduce the itching.
• Check your entire body for ticks after outdoor activity. Be sure to remove ticks properly.

What can I do to avoid bed bugs?

Although bed bugs do not carry disease, they are an annoyance. See our information page about avoiding bug bites for some easy tips to avoid them. For more information on bed bugs, see Bed Bugs .

For more detailed information on avoiding bug bites, see Avoid Bug Bites .

Stay safe outdoors

If your travel plans in South Korea include outdoor activities, take these steps to stay safe and healthy during your trip:

• Stay alert to changing weather conditions and adjust your plans if conditions become unsafe.
• Prepare for activities by wearing the right clothes and packing protective items, such as bug spray, sunscreen, and a basic first aid kit.
• Consider learning basic first aid and CPR before travel. Bring a travel health kit with items appropriate for your activities.
• If you are outside for many hours in the heat, eat salty snacks and drink water to stay hydrated and replace salt lost through sweating.
• Protect yourself from UV radiation : use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, wear protective clothing, and seek shade during the hottest time of day (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).
• Be especially careful during summer months and at high elevation. Because sunlight reflects off snow, sand, and water, sun exposure may be increased during activities like skiing, swimming, and sailing.
• Very cold temperatures can be dangerous. Dress in layers and cover heads, hands, and feet properly if you are visiting a cold location.

Stay safe around water

• Swim only in designated swimming areas. Obey lifeguards and warning flags on beaches.
• Do not dive into shallow water.
• Avoid swallowing water when swimming. Untreated water can carry germs that make you sick.
• Practice safe boating—follow all boating safety laws, do not drink alcohol if you are driving a boat, and always wear a life jacket.

Keep away from animals

Most animals avoid people, but they may attack if they feel threatened, are protecting their young or territory, or if they are injured or ill. Animal bites and scratches can lead to serious diseases such as rabies.

Follow these tips to protect yourself:

• Do not touch or feed any animals you do not know.
• Do not allow animals to lick open wounds, and do not get animal saliva in your eyes or mouth.
• Avoid rodents and their urine and feces.
• Traveling pets should be supervised closely and not allowed to come in contact with local animals.
• If you wake in a room with a bat, seek medical care immediately.  Bat bites may be hard to see.

All animals can pose a threat, but be extra careful around dogs, bats, monkeys, sea animals such as jellyfish, and snakes. If you are bitten or scratched by an animal, immediately:

• Wash the wound with soap and clean water.
• Go to a doctor right away.
• Tell your doctor about your injury when you get back to the United States.

Reduce your exposure to germs

Follow these tips to avoid getting sick or spreading illness to others while traveling:

• Wash your hands often, especially before eating.
• If soap and water aren’t available, clean hands with hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol).
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you need to touch your face, make sure your hands are clean.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Try to avoid contact with people who are sick.
• If you are sick, stay home or in your hotel room, unless you need medical care.

Avoid sharing body fluids

Diseases can be spread through body fluids, such as saliva, blood, vomit, and semen.

Protect yourself:

• Use latex condoms correctly.
• Do not inject drugs.
• Limit alcohol consumption. People take more risks when intoxicated.
• Do not share needles or any devices that can break the skin. That includes needles for tattoos, piercings, and acupuncture.
• If you receive medical or dental care, make sure the equipment is disinfected or sanitized.

Know how to get medical care while traveling

Plan for how you will get health care during your trip, should the need arise:

• Carry a list of local doctors and hospitals at your destination.
• Review your health insurance plan to determine what medical services it would cover during your trip. Consider purchasing travel health and medical evacuation insurance for things your regular insurance will not cover.
• Carry a card that identifies, in the local language, your blood type, chronic conditions or serious allergies, and the generic names of any medicines you take.
• Bring copies of your prescriptions for medicine and for eye glasses and contact lenses.
• Some prescription drugs may be illegal in other countries. Call South Korea’s embassy to verify that all of your prescription(s) are legal to bring with you.
• Bring all the medicines (including over-the-counter medicines) you think you might need during your trip, including extra in case of travel delays. Ask your doctor to help you get prescriptions filled early if you need to.

Many foreign hospitals and clinics are accredited by the Joint Commission International. A list of accredited facilities is available at their website ( www.jointcommissioninternational.org ).

Malaria is a risk in some parts of South Korea. If you are going to a risk area, fill your malaria prescription before you leave, and take enough with you for the entire length of your trip. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking the pills; some need to be started before you leave.

Select safe transportation

Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of healthy US citizens in foreign countries.

Be smart when you are traveling on foot.

• Use sidewalks and marked crosswalks.
• Pay attention to the traffic around you, especially in crowded areas.
• Remember, people on foot do not always have the right of way in other countries.

Riding/Driving

Choose a safe vehicle.

• Choose official taxis or public transportation, such as trains and buses.
• Make sure there are seatbelts.
• Avoid overcrowded, overloaded, top-heavy buses and minivans.
• Avoid riding on motorcycles or motorbikes, especially motorbike taxis. (Many crashes are caused by inexperienced motorbike drivers.)
• Choose newer vehicles—they may have more safety features, such as airbags, and be more reliable.
• Choose larger vehicles, which may provide more protection in crashes.

Think about the driver.

• Do not drive after drinking alcohol or ride with someone who has been drinking.
• Consider hiring a licensed, trained driver familiar with the area.
• Arrange payment before departing.

Follow basic safety tips.

• Wear a seatbelt at all times.
• Sit in the back seat of cars and taxis.
• When on motorbikes or bicycles, always wear a helmet. (Bring a helmet from home, if needed.)
• Do not use a cell phone or text while driving (illegal in many countries).
• Travel during daylight hours only, especially in rural areas.
• If you choose to drive a vehicle in South Korea, learn the local traffic laws and have the proper paperwork.
• Get any driving permits and insurance you may need. Get an International Driving Permit (IDP). Carry the IDP and a US-issued driver's license at all times.
• Check with your auto insurance policy's international coverage, and get more coverage if needed. Make sure you have liability insurance.
• Avoid using local, unscheduled aircraft.
• If possible, fly on larger planes (more than 30 seats); larger airplanes are more likely to have regular safety inspections.
• Try to schedule flights during daylight hours and in good weather.

Helpful Resources

Road Safety Overseas (Information from the US Department of State): Includes tips on driving in other countries, International Driving Permits, auto insurance, and other resources.

The Association for International Road Travel has country-specific Road Travel Reports available for most countries for a minimal fee.

Maintain personal security

Use the same common sense traveling overseas that you would at home, and always stay alert and aware of your surroundings.

Before you leave

• Research your destination(s), including local laws, customs, and culture.
• Monitor travel advisories and alerts and read travel tips from the US Department of State.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) .
• Leave a copy of your itinerary, contact information, credit cards, and passport with someone at home.
• Pack as light as possible, and leave at home any item you could not replace.

While at your destination(s)

• Carry contact information for the nearest US embassy or consulate .
• Carry a photocopy of your passport and entry stamp; leave the actual passport securely in your hotel.
• Follow all local laws and social customs.
• Do not wear expensive clothing or jewelry.
• Always keep hotel doors locked, and store valuables in secure areas.
• If possible, choose hotel rooms between the 2nd and 6th floors.

Healthy Travel Packing List

Use the Healthy Travel Packing List for South Korea for a list of health-related items to consider packing for your trip. Talk to your doctor about which items are most important for you.

Why does CDC recommend packing these health-related items?

It’s best to be prepared to prevent and treat common illnesses and injuries. Some supplies and medicines may be difficult to find at your destination, may have different names, or may have different ingredients than what you normally use.

If you are not feeling well after your trip, you may need to see a doctor. If you need help finding a travel medicine specialist, see Find a Clinic . Be sure to tell your doctor about your travel, including where you went and what you did on your trip. Also tell your doctor if you were bitten or scratched by an animal while traveling.

If your doctor prescribed antimalarial medicine for your trip, keep taking the rest of your pills after you return home. If you stop taking your medicine too soon, you could still get sick.

Malaria is always a serious disease and may be a deadly illness. If you become ill with a fever either while traveling in a malaria-risk area or after you return home (for up to 1 year), you should seek immediate medical attention and should tell the doctor about your travel history.

For more information on what to do if you are sick after your trip, see Getting Sick after Travel .

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South Korea

Travel Advisory July 24, 2023

South korea - level 1: exercise normal precautions.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.

Exercise normal precautions in South Korea.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to South Korea.

If you decide to travel to South Korea:

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.   
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .   
• Review the  Country Security Report  for South Korea.   
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.   
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .    

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Quick Facts

Must be valid at time of entry

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No – From April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, the Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) is not required for US citizens traveling for short-term business or tourism purposes.

Embassies and Consulates

U.s. embassy seoul.

188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03141, Korea Telephone: +(82) (2) 397-4114 (from within Korea, dial 02-397-4114)  DSN:721-4114 Fax: +(82) (2) 397-4101 Email:  [email protected]

U.S. Consulate in Busan

Lotte Gold Rose Building #612, Jungang-daero 993, Jin-gu Busan 47209, Korea Telephone: (+82) 51-863-0731 Email:  [email protected]

The Embassy and Consulate are closed on weekends and on  American and Korean holidays .  Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +82 (2) 397-4114.

Destination Description

Learn about the U.S. relationship to countries around the world.

Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements

• You must have a valid U.S. passport to enter Korea. From April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, the  Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA)  is not required for US citizens for stays of 90 days or less that are for tourism or business purposes.
• Visa required for all other purposes, including employment, teaching English, and for stays longer than 90 days.

Exceeding your authorized stay or not possessing a valid visa may result in detention and fines.

• In the event of an overstay, apply for a visa extension from the  Korea Immigration Service (KIS)  before attempting to leave the country. Also consult with KIS regarding changes in visa category.

Military Personnel/DOD and their families on orders:

• Consult  DOD Foreign Clearance Guide , and follow all instructions.
• Enter Korea with DOD identification and travel orders.
• Do not transit other countries such as China without a passport and appropriate visas.
• Family Members/Dependents of Military Personnel/DOD on orders must present upon arrival passports valid for at least six months .

U.S. Government Executive Branch personnel on official business and DOD personnel assigned to the U.S. Embassy  (Including family members/dependents):

• Employes assigned to Mission Korea should enter Korea with a diplomatic or official passport and a diplomatic or official Korean visa obtained through their sponsoring agency.  Check with your sponsoring agency about other requirements. 
• TDY visitors traveling to Korea for up to 90 days on diplomatic or official passports do  not  require Korean visas and do  not  require a K-ETA. TDY visitors must obtain country clearance using  Department of State's eCC system  or  DOD APACS system .

HIV/AIDS Restriction:  The Department of State is unaware of any such entry restrictions for visitors or foreign residents in Korea.

• Visit the  Embassy of Korea  website for current visa information. Please read our  Customs Information page .

COVID-19 Requirements :

• There are no COVID-related entry requirements for U.S. citizens.
• Travel regulations and restrictions are subject to change, sometimes with little notice. You should review the information available on your nearest Korean Embassy or Consulate’s webpage before traveling.

Safety and Security

Public Demonstrations:  Demonstrations and rallies are common in South Korea, particularly near the U.S. Embassy, Seoul City Hall, and areas surrounding military installations. You should avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or rallies. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence.

North Korea (The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK):  An armistice agreement, monitored by the United Nations, has maintained general peace on the Korean peninsula since 1953. Tensions occasionally flare up because of provocative acts by North Korea, including ballistic missile and nuclear tests and limited armed incursions into ROK-held territory. Some provocations have escalated into geographically limited skirmishes. South Korea routinely conducts military training exercises and civil defense drills. North Korea often issues strongly-worded and threatening messages, frequently in connection with these exercises. Please see our  Fact Sheet on North Korea .

Weather-related Events:  Heavy rains and flooding may occur during the June - August monsoon season or the May - November typhoon season. See general information about natural disaster preparedness at the U.S.  Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)  website.

Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program  ( STEP ):  To receive security messages by email and make it easier to locate you in an emergency, register in STEP. 

If the Embassy becomes aware of any specific and credible threat to the safety and security of U.S. citizens, we will inform you through our website, social media, and email.

Crime:  For most visitors, South Korea remains a very safe country. Common crimes occur more frequently in major metropolitan areas, tourist sites, and crowded markets.

• Take routine safety precautions.
• Pay attention to your surroundings.
• Report any concerns to local police.

Violent crime is not common; however, remain vigilant:

• Exercise caution in crowded entertainment, nightlife, and shopping districts.
• If traveling at night, consider traveling in groups.
• Use legitimate taxis or public transportation only.

Victims of Crime:  Call 112 for emergency assistance or to report a crime to local authorities. Call 02-397-4114 to contact the U.S. Embassy. We can:

• Help you find appropriate medical care;
• Assist you in reporting a crime to police;
• Contact relatives or friends on your behalf;
• Explain Korean judicial procedures in general terms;
• Provide an emergency loan for repatriation to the United States and/or limited medical support in cases of destitution;
• Help you find accommodations and flight arrangements to the United States;
• Replace a lost or stolen passport.

Sexual Assault:   The Embassy regularly receives reports of sexual assault from U.S. citizens. Most cases involved young women assaulted by acquaintances they met on social media, dating, or messaging apps. Alcohol is often involved, and Korea’s low overall crime can create a false sense of security.  Specialized hospital units and police are available in South Korea to assist victims, however services in English and responsiveness to the crime are not always consistent. In general, sex crimes are not punished as harshly in South Korea as in the United States and the road to prosecution is a challenging one for victims.

Domestic Violence:  Victim’s assistance resources or battered women’s shelters exist in Seoul and other urban areas but may be limited in rural areas. Most are government administered and require a police referral. Call 112 for emergency assistance or 1366 to reach Korea’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline. Victims may also contact the Embassy, tel. (+82) 2-397-4114.

Lost or Stolen Passports:  If your passport is stolen, file a report at the nearest police station.

Don't buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if widely available.  It is against South Korean law to purchase these goods and against U.S. law to bring them into the United States. The  Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Division in the U.S. Department of Justice  has more information.

Avoid fraud and scams:  See  Department of State  and  FBI  websites for more information.

Tourism:  The tourism industry is generally regulated and rules with regard to best practices and safety inspections are regularly enforced. Hazardous areas/activities are identified with appropriate signage and professional staff is typically on hand in support of organized activities. In the event of an injury, appropriate medical treatment is widely available throughout the country. Outside of a major metropolitan center, it may take more time for first responders and medical professionals to stabilize a patient and provide life-saving assistance. U.S. citizens are encouraged to purchase medical evacuation insurance. See our webpage for more information on  insurance providers for overseas coverage .

Local Laws & Special Circumstances

Criminal Penalties:  While in Korea, you are subject to local laws. If you violate Korean laws, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Be aware that:

• Immigration violations can lead to arrest, fines, and deportation.
• There is little tolerance for illegal drugs.
• If you mail illegal drugs to/ from Korea, you will be prosecuted.
• Commercial disputes may lead to criminal charges being filed under local laws.

Be aware that some crimes are prosecutable in the United States, regardless of local law. For examples, see our website on  crimes against minors abroad  and the  Department of Justice  website.

Arrest Notification:  If you are arrested or detained, ask officials to notify the Embassy. See our  webpage  for further information.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Dual Nationality and Military Conscription:  Dual national males (including U.S. service members) may be subject to compulsory military service. If you have family ties to South Korea, consult the nearest Korean Embassy or Consulate or the  Korean Military Manpower Administration  regarding potential citizenship obligations  before entering South Korea .

Passport Seizures and Exit Bans:  If you are involved in a criminal investigation or commercial dispute, authorities may seize your passport and/or block your departure. While we may reissue a passport, we cannot lift an exit ban.

Exit Permits:  Exit permits are not generally required. However, if a parent requests a travel restriction on his/her child, Korean authorities may prevent that child from departing even when traveling with the other parent. As of June 1, 2020, foreigners who are long-term residents of the ROK are required to obtain a re-entry permit four business days prior to departure from Korea. The permits are available online through an e-application at the  www.hikorea.go.kr  website.

International Child Abduction:  See our website for information related to the  prevention of international child abduction . 

Working in South Korea:  If working, including teaching or modeling, you must enter with the appropriate work visa. It is not possible to change your visa status without leaving the country. If you begin work without the appropriate visa, you may be arrested, fined, and/or deported. If you are working without a valid work permit and get into a contractual dispute with your employer, you have little legal recourse.

Students:  See our  Students Abroad  page and  FBI travel tips .

Women Travelers:  See our travel tips for  Women Travelers .

ROK National Security Law:  Authorities may detain, arrest, and imprison persons believed to have committed acts intended to endanger the “security of the state,” including statements deemed to praise the political system and/or officials of the DPRK. 

Customs Regulations: There is strict enforcement of regulations on importing and exporting items such as firearms, narcotics and prescription drugs, non-prescription health supplements, radio equipment, and gold. Importation of materials deemed to be obscene, subversive, or harmful to the public peace is also restricted.

• Amphetamines are illegal in Korea. Do not bring amphetamines or other prescription narcotics into the country without obtaining advance permission in writing from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. See the  U.S. Embassy Seoul, Health Information page .
• Traveling with Pets: See  Korea’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency  website.

See the  Korean Customs Regulations website for complete information.

LGBTI Travelers:  Consensual same-sex sexual activity is not criminalized. Korea is a conservative country in regards to LGBTI issues. However, there are an increasing number of LGBTI-oriented clubs, festivals and NGOs advocating for LGBTI issues. The ROK National Human Rights Commission Act prohibits discrimination against individuals because of their sexual orientation, but there are no laws specifying punishment for persons found to have discriminated on this basis. Same-sex marriages are not recognized. Korean citizens can legally change their gender identity.

See   our  LGBTI Travel Information  page and section 6 of the  Department of State's Human Rights report  for further details.

Mobility Issues:  Korean law mandates access to transportation, communication, and public buildings. Cross walks typically have audio and visual signals. Older buildings and streets are generally less accessible than modern ones. Metro cars and buses in Seoul offer priority seating for the disabled and most metro stations have elevators. Metro platforms include Korean Braille information. Contact individual bus companies and subway associations for specific information. Foreign residents are eligible for disability assistance from local ward offices; assistance varies by ward.

Quality of Care : Western-style medical facilities are available in most large cities. However, not all doctors and staff, are proficient in English. A  list of hospitals  and medical specialists who speak English is available on our website. For emergency ambulance service dial 119. Ambulance services are widely available. For information on medical evacuation from South Korea, please see the State Department’s brochure on  Air Ambulance/MedEvac/Medical Escort Providers . 

We do not pay medical bills.  Be aware that U.S. Medicare does not apply overseas. Verify your health insurance coverage before traveling overseas. See our webpage for information on  insurance providers for overseas coverage . In most cases, health care providers will require payment in advance of treatment or will not release a patient until hospital bills are paid. We strongly recommend supplemental insurance to include coverage for medical evacuation.

Medication:  Carry prescription medication in original packaging, along with your doctor’s prescription. Most prescription medications, except psychotropic types, can be obtained at Korean pharmacies (brand names often differ). Local pharmacies will require a prescription from a Korean doctor.

Update  vaccinations  recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

For further health information go to:

• World Health Organization
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC)

Travel and Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety:  Roads are well-paved, traffic signals functional, and most drivers comply with basic traffic laws. South Korea has a significantly higher traffic fatality rate than the United States. Causes of accidents include excessive speed, frequent lane changes without signaling, running red lights, aggressive bus drivers, and weaving motorcyclists. It is recommended that you photo document any traffic accidents.

Be aware that motorcyclists may drive on sidewalks, and drivers do not always yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks.

Traffic Laws include:

• International driving permit (or ROK license) is required for all drivers.
• Left-hand turns prohibited except with green arrow.
• Seat belts and car seats are mandatory.
• Motorcycle passengers must wear helmets.
• Automobile drivers are presumed to have some fault in accidents involving pedestrians.
• Expect long waits at police stations while police investigate any incidents.
• Police may take your passport or detain you during an investigation.
• Even if negligence is not proven, criminal charges may be filed.
• Blood-alcohol content of 0.03% or higher is considered legally intoxicated.
• Police regularly set up DUI checkpoints. Drivers are required to submit to breathalyzer tests; refusal can result in cancellation of your license.

For information about driver's permits, vehicle inspection, road tax, and mandatory insurance, refer to our  Road Safety page . You may also visit the  Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) website.

AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT:  The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of the Republic of Korea's Civil Aviation Authority as being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of the ROK's air carrier operations. Further information may be found on the  FAA's Safety Assessment Page .

Maritime Travel:  Mariners planning travel to South Korea should check for U.S. maritime advisories and alerts at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s  Maritime Security Communications with Industry Web Portal . Information may also be posted to the  U.S. Coast Guard homeport website  and as a broadcast warning on the  National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s website .

For additional travel information

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Call us in Washington, D.C. at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from all other countries) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• See the  State Department’s travel website  for the  Worldwide Caution  and  Travel Advisories .
• Follow us on  Twitter  and  Facebook .
• See  traveling safely abroad  for useful travel tips.

South Korea was cited in the State Department’s 2022 Annual Report to Congress on International Child Abduction for demonstrating a pattern of non-compliance with respect to international parental child abduction. Review information about International Parental Child Abduction in  South Korea.  For additional IPCA-related information, please see the  International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act ( ICAPRA )  report.

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U.S., South Korea praised for lifting HIV travel ban

United Nations applauds the United States and South Korea for lifting travel bans on people with HIV and urges 57 other countries with travel restrictions to end them quickly.

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UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations praised the United States and South Korea for lifting travel bans on people with HIV and urged 57 other countries with travel restrictions to end them quickly.

President Barack Obama announced in October that the U.S. would overturn a 22-year-old travel ban against people with HIV, and the new rule eliminating the ban came into force on Monday. South Korea eliminated travel restrictions for people with the HIV virus, which causes AIDS, on Jan. 1.

The policy changes are “a victory for human rights on two sides of the globe,” said Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, which coordinates the U.N.’s AIDS response, on Monday.

Ending the restrictions means travelers who are HIV positive can now enter both countries.

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In the United States, the ban has kept out thousands of students, tourists and refugees and has complicated the adoption of children with HIV. No major international AIDS conference has been held in the U.S. since 1993, because HIV-positive activists and researchers could not enter the country.

In 1987, at a time of widespread fear and ignorance about HIV, the Department of Health and Human Services added HIV to the list of communicable diseases that disqualified a person from entering the U.S. The department tried in 1991 to reverse its decision but was opposed by Congress, which went the other way two years later and made HIV infection the only medical condition explicitly listed under immigration law as grounds for inadmissibility to the U.S.

When Obama announced in October that the ban would be overturned, he commended Congress and former President George W. Bush for starting the process to eliminate the ban in 2008 and said his administration was “finishing the job.”

“It’s a step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment, it’s a step that will keep families together, and it’s a step that will save lives,” Obama said. “If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated Obama in October and applauded South Korea’s President Lee Myung-Bak on Monday “for his country’s leadership in ending restrictions toward people living with HIV that have no public health benefit.”

“I repeat my call to all other countries with such discriminatory restrictions to take steps to remove them at the earliest,” Ban said in a statement.

Among the countries that still have restrictions on entry, residence and length of stay for HIV sufferers are China, Cuba, Egypt, North Korea, Israel, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Iraq and Russia.

Sidibe, the UNAIDS chief, called for “global freedom of movement for people living with HIV in 2010, the year when countries have committed to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.”

Discrimination against people with HIV “has no place in today’s highly mobile world,” he said in a statement.

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New survey finds high levels of HIV discrimination in Republic of Korea

22 June 2017

N.C. Cho started feeling run down, with muscle aches and a high fever, in 2014.

N.C. Cho started feeling run down, with muscle aches and a high fever, in 2014. At the time, he was 32 years old and working in the fashion industry in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

“I went to several hospitals, but nobody could come up with a diagnosis,” said Mr Cho. “Finally, I went to see a third doctor, who did a whole series of tests.”

Little did he know that among the battery of blood work, he was also being tested for HIV.

“I was really angry when the doctor came back and told me I had HIV,” said Mr Cho. “I was educated enough to know that such tests should not be conducted without my consent. “The doctor basically told me you may be able to stay healthy, but you could also get very sick, lose a lot of weight and then die. He gave me some medicine for a cold and made it pretty clear that I should not come back.”

Mr Cho was active in Seoul’s gay community and could turn to peers who introduced him to quality HIV services. He was able to access HIV treatment shortly after his diagnosis and is now feeling fine.

A new survey conducted by the Korean Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (KNP+) finds that Mr Cho’s experience is far too common for people living with HIV in the Republic of Korea. The Korean People Living with HIV Stigma Index, which is the first peer-led survey in the country to detect and measure how HIV-positive people experience stigma and discrimination, was released on 22 June. Its development was supported by the Global Network of People Living with HIV, the International Community of Women Living with HIV and UNAIDS.

The survey, which was conducted from March to June 2016, found that 62% of people questioned reported that they were tested for HIV without their knowledge. This is high compared to other countries in Asia that have conducted similar peer-led surveys. In Viet Nam, 13% of people living with HIV reported similar experiences and in Nepal the figure was 9%. In addition, 17% of people surveyed in the Republic of Korea said their status was disclosed by medical staff to others without their consent.

“For too long, the voices of people living with HIV have been absent in policy-making,” said Son Mun Soo of KNP+. “This study documents their experiences and shows that the government, employers, health-care workers and communities must do much more to guarantee the rights of people living with HIV. A comprehensive anti-discrimination law must be enacted to protect their rights.”

UNAIDS and the World Health Organization strongly recommend that HIV testing only be undertaken with a person’s informed consent.

“Health-care settings should be stigma-free environments that ensure people living with HIV not only stay healthy, but their loved ones and community are also protected from HIV,” said Steve Kraus, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific. “It is imperative that we have protective laws and empowered communities.”

The study found that while the general level of education of survey respondents was slightly higher than that of the general population, their employment was more precarious. Only 43% of respondents were full- or part-time employees and 42% were living on less than the Republic of Korea’s minimum household income. About one in 10 respondents who were full- or part-time employees said they had disclosed their HIV status to their employer and about half reported discriminatory reactions.

The survey found that while most respondents disclosed their HIV status to their families out of a sense of obligation, almost 40% reported isolating themselves from loved ones because of their HIV status. Self-stigma was also high among respondents, with 75% feeling self-blame and more than a third experiencing suicidal thoughts.

As the first research of its kind into the stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with HIV in the Republic of Korea, KNP+ views the Korean People Living with HIV Stigma Index as a positive step forward to ensuring that the rights and needs of people living with HIV are protected and met. The study calls for more research on how to strengthen anti-discrimination protection in the workplace and demands training for health-care providers that emphasizes the rights of patients, as well as strong measures and penalties to prevent patient privacy violations.

Mr Cho participated in the study as a peer educator and found the experience empowering.

“There is a lot of self-stigma among people living with HIV,” said Mr Cho. “So I try to portray a positive outlook. I want others to feel positive about their life and to know that they can be HIV-positive but continue to live their life to the fullest.”

UNAIDS is working to empower people living with, at risk of and affected by HIV to know their rights and to access justice and legal services to prevent and challenge violations of human rights.

Unknown Lives: Initial Findings From The People Living with HIV Stigma Index In South Korea 2016-2017

Republic of Korea’s network of people living with HIV opens its doors in Seoul

10 November 2015

Munsu has been living with HIV for 20 years and has played an active role in the Republic of Kore

Munsu has been living with HIV for 20 years and has played an active role in the Republic of Korea’s AIDS movement. However, like thousands of people in his situation, he has not shared his HIV status with his family because he is fearful of their reaction and the social isolation that such a disclosure would most likely bring about.

He is all too aware of the stigma and discrimination faced by HIV-positive people in his country.

Munsu is a founding member of the Korean Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (KNP+), a Seoul-based organization with some 2000 members, established in 2011 to bring five existing organizations under one umbrella and to provide a concerted and connected voice for the country’s HIV-positive community. On 30 October 2015, after several years of effort, KNP+ opened its first official office and community space.

An epidemic of fear

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 10 000 people living with HIV in the country. The Republic of Korea’s epidemic is heavily concentrated among gay men in urban settings, with men representing 92% of all HIV infections since data collection began in 1985.

Despite the country’s low HIV prevalence, fear of HIV is a problem. A national survey conducted in 2005 indicated that only half of respondents would care for a family member if he or she were HIV-positive. Reports also indicate that HIV phobia is present in health-care facilities.

At the KNP+ community centre event, Minji Kim, a young doctor and a volunteer with KNP+, shared the ignorance towards HIV she encountered in medical school. “One of our classes focused on AIDS and I was shocked at my classmates’ reactions,” said Minji. “They were making fun and mocking people living with HIV. I knew I had to do something to change this.”

Munsu thinks one of the reasons HIV is so feared in Korean society is that it is linked to homosexuality, transgender sexuality and other issues that are negatively viewed. This “double dose” of exclusion, he said, forces many people living with HIV to be isolated, especially from their family.

As the attachment to loved ones is particularly strong in Korean society, rejection by family members can mean that many people living with HIV are abandoned and segregated from social events. This situation extends to the provision of health care, he noted. “Many people living with HIV cannot be admitted to hospital because they have no family member to be responsible for them, to be their caregiver. This is essential in Korea if you want medical services,” said Munsu.

Overcoming stigma as a priority

As stigma in daily life is one of the top concerns most cited by members of KNP+, the organization and its partners are prioritizing efforts to respond. With its permanent office in place, KNP+ is preparing to compile Korea’s first People Living with HIV Stigma Index.

The Stigma Index initiative is a collaboration between the Global Network of People Living with HIV, the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS and UNAIDS. The initiative aims to document HIV-related stigma and discrimination and provide a mechanism to compare experiences in different settings and across time. Findings will be used to advocate for change and progress to redress the situation. The Stigma Index is also important in that it empowers people living with HIV in the process, involving them directly in the design, deployment and analysis phases. This participatory approach is led by organizations of people living with HIV with support of international and domestic partners.

The Stigma Index will be carried out in 2016. A research team to oversee its development and deployment is expected to be operational in January 2016.

KNP+ is optimistic that the results of the Stigma Index will influence policies, particularly around human rights, improve psychosocial support programmes for people living with HIV and boost service uptake by making it easier for people to come forward. The organization also hopes to use the data collected to shape a national zero stigma campaign it plans to launch in 2017. Most importantly for the organization, the Stigma Index should kick start a long overdue dialogue on removing the deep-rooted fear of HIV in Korean society.

Steve Kraus, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific, applauded the organization for taking the Stigma Index forward, stating that it is a key tool in bringing about change for people living with and affected by HIV.

“Our experience in all of the countries in our region that move forward in compiling the Stigma Index show that some remarkable things happen—a greater dialogue and understanding is established and a space for political mobilization is created,” said Mr Kraus. “It is in turn used for advocacy on budgets, on policies, on programmes and especially for reaching out to the community to make sure that no one is left behind and everybody feels included in the national response.” 

Young leaders to promote HIV prevention through grass-roots sports activities

18 February 2015

Young sports leaders from 15 countries in the Asia and Pacific region have learned about HIV prev

Young sports leaders from 15 countries in the Asia and Pacific region have learned about HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health.

Some 30 volunteers participating in the Youth Leadership Programme of the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP), a programme designed to bring change in the volunteers’ homelands, attended a workshop in which they discussed how to talk about HIV with young people, explored ways to overcome the challenges faced by youth and debated the role of grass-roots sports activities in the HIV response.

As part of the workshop, held in the Republic of Korea, the youth leaders also designed and created innovative advocacy campaigns on HIV prevention and testing and on promoting zero discrimination, which they promised to implement in their home countries.

The workshop was led by UNAIDS youth officers and was organized by the Youth Leadership Programme of UNOSDP in partnership with Gwangju Summer Universiade Organizing Committee and the Youth Sport Trust. 

“Sport brings change and leadership in societies and can tackle the biggest challenges, including the HIV epidemic.”

Ben Taylor, United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace

“The day with UNAIDS taught me how to stand up for key affected people in my community by becoming an agent of change.”

Rana Umair Asif, Pakistan, Kafka Welfare Organization, member of Y-PEER Pakistan

“This is my second Youth Leadership Camp in the Republic of Korea and I am inspired by the activism spirit of the young leadership. I truly believe with leadership they can conquer anything.”

Elena Kiryushina, Youth Officer, UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace

Republic of Korea leaders visit India to learn about the HIV epidemic and response

16 September 2014

A high-level delegation of parliamentary and private sector leaders from the Republic of Korea vi

A high-level delegation of parliamentary and private sector leaders from the Republic of Korea visited India from 10 to 15 September to learn about the impact that HIV has on communities and how the country is responding to the AIDS epidemic.

The delegation was led by the recently formed Korean Women against AIDS (KOWA) organization, which works through women parliamentarians and senior business leaders to advocate for greater engagement in the Republic of Korea for ending the AIDS epidemic in Asia, Africa and across the globe.

While in New Delhi, the group met with Indian parliamentarians and visited the HIV Vaccine Translational Research Laboratory. As part of the fact-finding mission, the group also visited nongovernmental organizations providing counselling, care and support services to women and children living with HIV, as well as the K. B. Bhabha Hospital in Mumbai, which has a prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission centre. The leaders spoke with women living with HIV, learning how antiretroviral treatment can prevent babies from being born with HIV and keep their mothers alive.

While India has the largest HIV epidemic in Asia, with an estimated 2.1 million people living with HIV in 2013, the country has made significant progress. New HIV infections have dropped by 19% since 2005, about a third (36%) of people living with HIV are receiving life-saving treatment and AIDS-related deaths have dropped by 38% since 2005.

The mission came to India at the suggestion of UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, who, during a recent visit to the Republic of Korea, encouraged KOWA members to experience the AIDS response first-hand.

"This was an extremely moving fact-finding mission. All Korean Women against AIDS members came away with a strong commitment to support the AIDS response, especially preventing HIV transmission from mother to child."

You Jee-Young, Member of Parliament, Republic of Korea

"I congratulate Korean Women against AIDS for turning words into action and coming to India to learn about the HIV epidemic. I am sure this trip will enable Korean Women against AIDS to broaden support in the Republic of Korea for further engagement in the AIDS response."

Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé addressing the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches. Busan, Republic of Korea, 30 October 2013. Credit: Peter Williams/WCC

L to R: Anglican Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi of Burundi; Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby; Mr Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director; the Most Rev. Thabo Cecil Makgoba, Anglican Church of Southern Africa. Busan, Republic of Korea, 31 October 2013. Credit: Peter Williams/WCC

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé (center) and people working on HIV through churches all over the world, some of whom are openly HIV-positive, pose for a group photo. Busan, Republic of Korea, 30 October 2013. Credit: UNAIDS

UNAIDS Executive Director addresses Christian communities at 10th Assembly in Korea

01 November 2013

The World Council of Churches (WCC), a fellowship of Christian Churches, opened its 10th Assembly

The World Council of Churches (WCC), a fellowship of Christian Churches, opened its 10th Assembly in the South Korean city of Busan on Wednesday 30 October. Some 3000 delegates from more than 100 countries gathered to focus on the theme ‘God of life: lead us to justice and peace.’

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé was invited to participate in the conference and began his visit with a lively meeting with people living with HIV and people working on HIV through church communities across the world. He also met with the Anglican Archbishops of Canterbury, South Africa and Burundi where they discussed the role of the Church in the HIV response and the importance of speaking out to break the silence around sexual violence and HIV as well as the importance of access to affordable medicines.

Mr Sidibé was asked by the Assembly organisers to give a talk which would set the tone for the WCC Assembly’s discussions on ‘Justice and Peace’ and give direction for the WCC’s future action. Recognizing the critical role of churches in health care world-wide he the challenged delegates to push the boundaries on sensitive issues such as sexuality, to speak out against injustice, to push forward the drive to provide medicines for everyone in need and to rise to the challenge of bringing the most marginalized to the table where policy is set and decisions are made. 

Mr Sidibé was joined in the thematic plenary session by the Anglican Bishop of Colombo, Dr Tawfik, a Theologian from the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and MÉlisande Schifter, a young theologian from Germany who challenged participants to focus their rich experience into suggestions for action to young people present at the Assembly. 

Social justice is close to your hearts — join us to make a call that no one should be left behind when it comes to treatment… We must not take our foot off the pedal now. We must redouble our efforts, I will refuse silence when what we look for is justice. If we don’t pay now as a global community to finish the task we have started, then we will pay forever — both financially and in human lives.

I was really struck by the challenge of providing access to medicines for people living with HIV and the push for global solidarity on that issue. This is something we too can throw our weight behind.

Archbishop of Canterbury

In the context of discussions around HIV and sexuality in the Church one of the very important groups is INERELA+ the International Network of Religious Leaders Living with and personally affected by HIV. This is a group of religious leaders some of whom have openly declared their HIV positive status. They have been a great help to many people in the Church who are living with HIV.

Archbishop of Burundi

We will not get to zero without liberating sexuality as a faith community.

Rev. Phumzile Mabizela Executive Director of INERELA+

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé (left) met with Republic of Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs, Shin Dong-ik. Seoul, 29 October 2013. Credit: UNAIDS

UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador, Myung-Bo Hong and Mr Sidibé. Seoul, 29 October 2013. Credit: UNAIDS

How Korea’s transformation could help strengthen global response to HIV

31 October 2013

In recent years the Republic of Korea has transformed into a leading global powerhouse.

In recent years the Republic of Korea has transformed into a leading global powerhouse. It is the first major recipient of overseas development aid to become an important overseas donor itself and has become a model for economic and development progress.

Today, the Republic of Korea has one of the world’s largest global economies and is an active member of both the G20 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In a bid to learn from its experience and to use the lessons to further the global response to HIV, Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS made an important visit to the country to meet with some of the country’s leading political figures.

“Africa needs a knowledge economy and one of the best examples comes from the Republic of Korea,” said Mr Sidibé. “Korea can play a key role in helping countries in Asia and Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.”

During a meeting with the Deputy Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs,  Shin Dong-ik, Mr Sidibé highlighted the urgent need to extend access to HIV services to everyone in need. He also emphasised the historic opportunity to create an AIDS-free generation by preventing new HIV infections among children through increasing access to low-cost antiretroviral medicines and strengthening maternal-child health services. These global efforts, he said, needed the full support of the Republic of Korea to succeed. The Deputy Foreign Minister confirmed the Republic of Korea’s commitment to the AIDS response and to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) including MDG 6.

Joining Mr Sidibé on the visit was Han Young Sil, former president of Sookmyung Women's University and Special Advisor to UNAIDS Executive Director. She said that, "Past experience of Korean community empowerment was key for business and social transformation."

During his visit Mr. Sidibé also met with UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador,  Myung-Bo Hong, Korean football star and Head Coach of the Korean National Football Team.  As part of his HIV prevention work Mr Hong is teaming up with other footballers around the globe to support UNAIDS ‘Protect the Goal’ campaign, which seeks to create an AIDS-free generation by preventing new HIV infections among children. 

“Mr Hong is a role model not just for youth but also for fans around the globe. His courage and support in mobilizing efforts for a world without HIV is invaluable,” said Mr Sidibé.

Putting education first

UNAIDS has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations World Tourism Organiz

UNAIDS has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations World Tourism Organization Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty Foundation (UNWTO ST-EP Foundation).

UNAIDS and the UNWTO ST-EP Foundation will work with the Republic of Korea’s Yonsei University to support the UN MDG Thank You Small Library Initiative.

The Thank You Small Library initiative establishes small libraries in communities where children do not have access to reading and studying facilities. The main purpose is to provide both educational and entertainment opportunities through the enjoyment of reading.

One of the first shared projects will be to produce a children’s book focused on children living with HIV.

At the signing ceremony, Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibé discussed the importance of education with Ambassador Dho Young-shim, Chairperson of the UNWTO ST-EP Foundation and MDG Advocacy Group Member, and Professor Myongsei Sohn, Dean of the Graduate School of Public Health at Yonsei University in Seoul.

Children have the right to read and the right to learn. Education holds the key to a brighter future for children everywhere.

UN Secretary General urges continued commitment to aid towards “new cooperation partnership”

30 November 2011

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to reporters on arrival in Busan, Republic of Korea, to address the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. Credit: UN News

Some 3500 delegates, including heads of state, ministers, civil society, the private sector and leaders of international organizations have come together for the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, Korea, from 29 November to 1 December to review the impact of development aid and chart a bold course for how the future of development cooperation will support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Speaking at the opening, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon underlined the need to move towards a “new cooperation partnership” based on shared responsibility where traditional donors continue aid programmes despite the economic crisis; where countries receiving aid set clear development priorities, deliver on commitments and work more with civil society; and where emerging aid donors and the private sector increase aid efforts and commitments.

"Our agenda today is very clear," Ban said. "We are here to ensure that aid reaches those most in need, the most vulnerable people who we have to take care of."

Underlining how commitment to development assistance has helped to slow the spread of HIV and reduce child mortality, the Secretary General emphasized the urgent need to continue support for “highly productive multilateral initiatives such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.”

Towards a “new global partnership for development” the Secretary General stressed three principles as the basis for effective aid:  accountability, flexibility and ownership. 

“Countries that are accountable, countries that receive flexible aid, countries that have the most ownership -- will be best placed to achieve the best results,” he said.

New partnership for Africa’s development

In Busan on Tuesday 29 November, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé stressed that the time is right for new paradigms for international development cooperation to transform the concept of aid effectiveness. Mr Sidibe spoke at a side event on the impact of development aid in Africa, organized by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Our agenda today is very clear," Ban said. "We are here to ensure that aid reaches those most in need, the most vulnerable people who we have to take care of

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

“At this game-changing moment in the AIDS response, today’s development paradigms look tired and confused – no longer responding to the needs of a changing world,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “We need to broaden the discourse beyond a focus on just financial sustainability. A socially sustainable agenda for Africa must be agreed upon in Busan.”

Although sub-Saharan Africa remains the region worst-affected by HIV with nearly 70% of the 34 million people living with HIV worldwide, the countries of sub-Saharan Africa have the potential to lead the AIDS response as they have increased access to technology, economic growth and a growing workforce, he stressed.

Youth as ‘transformers’

Mr Sidibé also joined the Korean Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Dr LEE Ju-Ho, at the Youth Forum to hear the perspectives of young people on effective aid and development. The Youth Forum, hosted by the Korean government and organized by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, addressed ways to increase young people’s participation in aid and development.

Speaking to young people at the opening of the Youth Forum, Mr Sidibé said, “You are not spectators in development architecture—you are transformers. You are the leaders of today - transforming the world and the way development is done through your bold ideas and the innovative use of technology.”

Calling on young people to engage in the development of UNAIDS’ new youth strategy, Mr Sidibé highlighted how social media is a powerful tool for development and innovation. UNAIDS is using crowdsourcing to empower young people, including young people living with HIV, to take ownership and develop the strategy online. To participate in this initiative, go to www.crowdoutaids.org.

Korean football icon appointed UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador

28 November 2011

Korean footballer Myung-Bo Hon with the UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. Seoul, 28 November 2011.

SEOUL, Republic of Korea, 28 November 2011 — Iconic Korean football star, Myung-Bo Hong, was appointed as a UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador during a press conference held at Yonsei University in Seoul. In this capacity, Myung-Bo Hong will raise awareness on HIV prevention among young people and help break down the barriers of stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV, particularly within the Republic of Korea and across Asia.

“As one of the greatest Asian football players of all time, Myung-Bo Hong will be a compelling advocate on HIV prevention for young people and football fans worldwide,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “I am honoured UNAIDS will work with such an inspiring athlete to disseminate vital messages about HIV to young people.”

“Accelerated efforts are needed on HIV to ensure zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero deaths,” said Mr Byeongleul Jun, Director of the Korean Centre for Disease Control and Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare. “The involvement of a sporting hero as great as Myung-Bo Hong can greatly advance this important agenda and make a difference in the AIDS response around the world,” he said.

Myung-Bo Hong joins prominent individuals from the world of arts, science, literature, entertainment as an advocate for zero new HIV infections and zero discrimination. Other UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassadors include Naomi Watts, Annie Lennox, and Michael Ballack.

“People living with HIV are people like you and me,” said Myung-Bo Hong during the appointment ceremony. “They have rights and should not be discriminated against. I am delighted to be working with UNAIDS to use sport to help bring an end to AIDS.”

Currently Korea’s National Olympic Football Team Manager, Myung-Bo Hong, played for the country’s national football team in four consecutive World Cups (1990-2002) and was chosen among the “FIFA 100”, a selection of the 125 greatest living footballers in the world made by Brazilian football legend Pelé. He was the first Asian footballer to receive FIFA’s World Cup Bronze Ball in 2002.

“We are very glad UNAIDS has recognized Myung-Bo Hong as both a sports celebrity and a prominent humanitarian. Mr. Hong has established a great level of influence in football worldwide, and his appointment as the UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador has great potential to make a critical push against HIV infections and discrimination,” said Mr Soo-Gil Park, President of World Federation of United Nations Associations.

Globally there are more than 5 million young people living with HIV and every day 2400 young people become infected with the virus. Although young people are increasingly learning how to protect themselves, only one-third of young people globally have accurate and comprehensive knowledge of how to protect themselves from HIV.

At the Nexus: How HIV-Related Immigration Policies Affect Foreign Nationals and Citizens in South Korea

Jessica M. Keralis

Effective HIV prevention requires the protection and empowerment of marginalized groups at high risk of infection. However, many policies persist that stigmatize these groups and hinder HIV prevention efforts, including HIV-related travel restrictions. In the Republic of Korea, which requires HIV tests for certain visa categories, these restrictions negatively affect the national HIV response and access to accurate information on effective HIV prevention. In addition, they violate migrants’ human rights to confidentiality and informed consent to testing and the rights of persons living with HIV (PLHIV) to privacy, work, medical care, bodily integrity, and freedom from discrimination. Furthermore, the discrimination and misconceptions perpetuated by this policy may be driving South Korea’s burgeoning infection rates.

Introduction

The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, has been at the nexus of health and human rights since it first emerged as an epidemic in the early 1980s. [1] Because of its connection to male-to-male sexual contact, commercial sex work, and injection drug use—behaviors that are criminalized in many countries—its prevention and control quickly became the focus of significant controversy. [2] In the years following HIV’s emergence, communities affected by the epidemic, human rights activists, and public health experts stressed that, contrary to traditional public health responses, the effective response to HIV required the protection of the human rights of those affected by and at risk of the epidemic. This approach, termed by Michael Kirby as the “HIV paradox,” has since been confronted with substantial backlash from politicians and groups who view the criminalization of behaviors that spread the virus, and the further marginalization of those engaged in them, as acceptable means of controlling the epidemic. [3]

While substantial progress has been made in developing and strengthening the evidence base for effective HIV prevention strategies, these initiatives still face social and political hurdles. Social stigma persists, and laws and public health policy that harm efforts to control the spread of infection are common. [4] One such measure that is still frequently employed today—despite being consistently demonstrated as ineffective and roundly condemned by human rights and public health bodies around the world—is HIV-related travel and immigration restrictions. Immigration restrictions based on HIV status are enforced by the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea) for specific visa categories, despite international treaty commitments and public statements to the contrary. [5] Many countries across the world still apply such restrictions, maintaining laws and policies that deny the entry, stay, and residence to people living with HIV on the basis of their HIV status. [6] These restrictions have been universally condemned as violating migrants’ human rights to confidentiality and informed consent to testing, and the rights of PLHIV to privacy, dignity, bodily integrity, work, and medical care. In addition, Korea’s policies also deprive its own citizens of the right to health and accurate information on effective HIV prevention.

HIV in Korea: Past and present

History of the epidemic and early policy responses

Korea’s first case of HIV was identified in 1985. [7] The appearance of the virus coincided with the country’s symbolic opening to the outside world with the hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, and fears that the influx of tourists would result in the rapid spread of HIV were widespread among government officials and media commentators. [8]

There were strident calls for requiring “AIDS certificates” to certify that all who entered the country were not infected, and Korean government officials proposed the idea at the World Health Assembly in 1987. [9] The World Health Organization instead reaffirmed that “information and education on the modes of transmission … are still the only measures available that can limit the further spread of AIDS.” [10] Meanwhile, Korea passed the AIDS Prevention Act in November 1987, which in addition to requiring HIV diagnoses to be reported to the Korea National Institute of Health, implemented mass compulsory screenings for groups identified by the government as “high risk,” including commercial sex workers, prison inmates, overseas sailors, and food industry sanitation workers. [11] This continued until 2000, when mandatory testing was abolished and funding priorities shifted from testing to medical care for PLHIV. [12] Korea’s HIV travel ban remained in place until 2010. [13]

Exclusionary epidemiology: “Domestic” versus “foreign” infections

Epidemiological data on HIV in Korea are provided by the Korea National Institute of Health and the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although Korea has a comparatively low prevalence of HIV and is considered a low-burden country, the number of newly acquired HIV infections has increased nearly every year since the first case was discovered, and new cases have risen substantially since 2000. [14]

In 1992, Korea’s HIV epidemic shifted from the virus being brought in from overseas to it being transmitted through domestic sexual contacts. [15] However, the perception of HIV as a foreign contagion persists. Annual reports of the Korea National Institute of Health and Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention distinguish between “domestic” and “foreign” cases, and while detailed statistics on demographic information, modes of transmission, and CD4 counts at diagnosis are provided for Koreans, little to no data to this effect is given on foreign nationals diagnosed with HIV. The Korean HIV Cohort, which consists of patients aged 18 or older diagnosed with HIV who agreed to be enrolled in the study, is declared in scientific publications to be “representative” of the epidemic in the country. However, it was established in 2006, when the HIV travel ban was still in place and foreign nationals diagnosed with HIV were deported. [16] Peer-reviewed journal articles and publications on the topic of HIV in Korea appear to refer exclusively to HIV infections among native Koreans when describing the country’s epidemic, as the figures provided match the number of infections among Korean nationals as reported by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [17] This apparent exclusion of migrants with HIV from Korea’s body of HIV-focused epidemiological scholarship even after the removal of the travel ban precludes their consideration in the development of evidence-based prevention strategies. The absence of migrants from the discourse surrounding HIV in the Korean epidemiological research community deepens the public health marginalization they experience, which is, at least in part, driven by HIV-related immigration restrictions to which they are subjected.

Specific travel restrictions

The Department of Immigration continues to require HIV tests for certain visa categories, despite a declaration from a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official that the country had lifted all HIV-related travel restrictions. [18] These mandatory screenings are required for native English teachers, manual laborers under the Employment Permit System and industrial trainee programs, maritime workers, and entertainment workers. Those who test positive are usually denied work visas and forced to either leave the country or work illegally, in which case they cannot access treatment or medication.

Korea shifted from a labor-exporting country to a labor-importing one during its rapid development in the 1980s and began attracting migrant laborers soon after it hosted the 1988 Olympics. [19] The D3 visa was established in 1993 to process and employ these migrants under the existing Industrial Trainee System, providing a steady stream of cheap labor that had no right to benefits or medical care and no ability to form unions to lobby to improve their working conditions; the following year, compulsory HIV testing began. [20] Additionally, there have been reports of health officials visiting factories and asking managers to gather all migrant workers for compulsory HIV tests. [21] The Industrial Trainee System was replaced by the Employment Permit System (E9 visa) in 2004, which mandates HIV tests for all applicants either before departure or upon entry (or both), and annually thereafter. [22] These workers are often forced to pay out of pocket for these tests. [23] Migrants who are HIV positive or who wish to avoid testing are driven to enter the country illegally, cannot access regular medical care, and are forced to forgo treatment. Those who do test positive have their test results reported to their employers and immigration authorities, denying their right to privacy and confidentiality, and their visas are revoked.

Testing for sexually transmitted infections and other infectious diseases has been required of women working in bars and hostess clubs—formally employed as entertainers but who often engage in sex work—nationwide since 1977, and HIV was added to the testing scheme in 1986, shortly after it emerged on the peninsula. [24] Following the trend of manual laborers, the population of women working in the “pleasure industry” has shifted from being mostly Korean to consisting largely of migrants from the Philippines, Russia, the former Soviet Republics, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and the government has accommodated the influx of these migrant women (despite the fact that prostitution is officially illegal) by allowing them to enter and work under the E6 “entertainment visa.” [25] Also similar to manual laborers, the women are deprived of their rights to accurate health information and medical confidentiality: they receive no counseling, their health checks are provided and processed in Korean (rather than their native language), and their test results are reported to their employers.

There are close to 16,000 native-speaking foreign language teachers in Korea, most of them English teachers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. [26] The advent of mandatory HIV tests for these native-speaking English teachers, who work in Korea under the E2 visa program, has been extensively documented by Benjamin Wagner and Matthew VanVolkenburg. [27] Until recently, the Korean government required E2 visa applicants to undergo annual HIV and drug testing as part of a policy that it had implemented in 2008 in response to a moral panic sparked by the Interpol arrest of Christopher Paul Neil, a Canadian national and child sex predator. Although Neil was arrested for activities that took place in Thailand, and there was no evidence that he had committed sex crimes in Korea nor that he was HIV positive, the revelation that he had been living and teaching English in South Korea generated nationwide outrage and fears of sexual exploitation and corruption of Korean women by “predatory” foreign men. [28] Several conservative nativist citizen groups seized on the opportunity to pressure the government to implement annual HIV and drug tests for foreign English teachers. [29] Notably, there was no such requirement for Korean citizens, and even noncitizens of Korean ethnicity who hold F4 visas (a multiple-entry visa designated for ethnically Korean foreign nationals) are not subject to the testing requirement. [30] Teachers were required to submit to the test when they arrived in country, and teachers who worked for public schools were retested annually when renewing their contracts. [31] Those who tested positive faced the possibility of being denied a visa and potentially being deported. [32] Their results were reported to immigration authorities and their employers, and no health information or counseling was offered in their native language. Many did not even realize that they were being tested when they went to the hospital for their required health check. Although the HIV testing requirement was lifted in July 2017, Korea’s Ministry of Justice still requires that E2 applicants undergo mandatory testing for drugs and now syphilis, making it possible that they are still being tested for HIV without their knowledge or consent. [33]

Although there are no HIV-specific restrictions tied to the D2 visa required for university-level students, several scholarship programs operated by the Korean government list HIV/AIDS as a potentially disqualifying factor. For example, the Teach and Learn in Korea program, which recruits native English speakers with at least two years of undergraduate study to teach English in rural areas for six to twelve months, states in its contract that the participant’s employer may terminate the contract if the participant is found to be HIV positive, and that the employer can request a “physical examination” (which presumably includes an HIV test) at any time. [34] Also, the Korean Government Scholarship Program, which provides funding and airfare for non-Koreans interested in pursuing a postgraduate degree at a Korean university, lists a medical examination as a stipulation for receiving the scholarship and specifies HIV as a cause for disqualification. [35]

HIV infection, medical care, and stigma in Korean society

New cases rising rapidly

While the Korean government assuages the public’s fear of HIV by citing its HIV-related immigration restrictions, it is neglecting the country’s own burgeoning infection rates. The number of new infections has risen steadily since the beginning of the epidemic, increasing by an average of 12% each year since 2000 among Korean nationals, even as the overall global trend declines. [36] One 2013 analysis modeling the number of future infections based on previous case counts predicted that new HIV infections would increase rapidly if trends continued unchanged, and the number of new cases has either matched or surpassed the model’s prediction in the three years since. [37] Multiple Korean public health experts have pointed out the potential for the epidemic to escalate quickly and the inadequacy of the government’s current policies in slowing the rate of new infections. [38]

Homophobia and the gender disparity in infections

The ratio of HIV-positive Korean males to females rose from 6:1 in 2000 to 11:1 by 2011, and it is projected to rise to as high as 19:1 in 2017. [39] The growing gender disparity in infections indicates strongly that new infections are driven largely by male-male sexual contact. [40] However, official surveillance data and most surveys of men diagnosed with HIV have found that less than half (and often as low as a quarter) of respondents report that their infection resulted from sexual contact with other men. [41] This is most likely due to underreporting, as homosexuality is deeply stigmatized in Korean society, and many men who have sex with men may be reticent to disclose their sexual orientation. [42]

Stigma in society and medical care

Ignorance about HIV, how it is transmitted, and what measures can be taken to protect oneself from infection is widespread among Koreans. Discrimination against PLHIV is deeply entrenched in Korean society. Surveys of attitudes toward PLHIV have found high percentages of respondents who would feel uncomfortable living near someone with HIV, refuse to care for a family member living with HIV, and support the isolation of PLHIV. [43] Such attitudes toward PLHIV are common even among medical professionals who are educated about HIV and have a professional obligation to provide appropriate care to PLHIV. It is not uncommon for hospital personnel to refuse to treat or touch patients with HIV, or even to force them to leave the facility when they disclose their status. Tragically, this is found even in long-term care facilities specifically designated for AIDS patients , where patients are neglected by staff, not allowed to leave of their own free will or contact family members, and even charged additional fees not required of other patients. [44] Finally, it is worth nothing that rates of suicide and suicidal thoughts are much higher among PLHIV than the general population. [45]

At the nexus: HIV restrictions against migrants to protect citizens violate the rights of both

Travel restrictions as prevention: A failure for public health and human rights

Governments often couch HIV-related travel restrictions in terms of protecting public health. However, this rationale has been explicitly rejected by international health and human rights organizations, including the World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and multilateral human rights bodies (such as the International Organization for Migration, the International Labour Organization, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights). [46] HIV-related restrictions on travel, immigration, or residence violate the principles of nondiscrimination and equal treatment included in all international human rights laws, treaties, and agreements. [47] The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees the right to equal protection under the law, without discrimination based on race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status, and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has determined that this includes discrimination based on health status, including HIV infection. [48] According to the Siracusa Principles on the Limitation and Derogation Provisions in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, while international human rights law allows governments to restrict rights in cases of emergency or serious public concern, the restrictions must, among other things, be the minimum necessary to effectively address the concern. [49]

HIV-related travel restrictions have been overwhelmingly deemed overly intrusive and ineffective. Numerous health and human rights organizations have made it clear that screening travelers and migrants for HIV is ineffective in preventing the spread of HIV, as HIV is not transmitted by casual contact, and countries that do not have HIV-related travel restrictions have not reported any additional negative public health consequences compared to those that do. [50] Nonetheless, according to UNAIDS, 35 countries still have some form of official HIV-related travel restrictions, while others, including Korea, allow employers and individual government agencies to discriminate against PLHIV with impunity. [51]

HIV as “foreign contamination”

Public discussions of HIV in Korea cast the disease as a product of the contamination of Korean society by foreign elements, propagated by social deviancy (such as promiscuity and prostitution). This has been well documented by Sealing Cheng, who demonstrates “how the discourse of AIDS is embedded within larger nationalist fears of foreign contamination in a globalized world” in her coverage of a nationwide “Purity Campaign” led by a Korean nonprofit established for HIV prevention and supported by government funds and endorsed by the Korea National Institute of Health. [52] She documents how this discourse has been legitimized by opposition politicians and the Korean media (who have historically cited the government’s failure to track and deport HIV-positive migrants in their criticism of the government) and embraced even by Korean public health officials (who attributed the spread of the virus to homosexuality and teenage prostitution at the time of the campaign). As Cheng notes, rather than providing accurate information about modes of transmission and effective prevention strategies, the campaign portrayed HIV infection as a consequence of promiscuous sexuality outside of marriage and sexual contact with foreigners (who represent deviancy and sexual corruption). This view of HIV as foreign contamination continues to be perpetuated by media reports and statements from government officials. [53]

Felicia Chang et al. point out that an overwhelming proportion (89%) of WHO member states with high percentages of foreign nationals have HIV-related travel restrictions and suggest that governments may employ them to exclude foreign workers from jobs, address citizens’ concerns on foreign influences and cultural infringement, and appease voters. [54] Korea’s immigration policies, much like its officially endorsed HIV-prevention messaging, support this view, marginalizing migrants from public life both by restricting their access to employment and health care and by portraying them as carriers of foreign disease and moral decay.

Violating migrants’ rights to privacy, work, and medical care

The compulsory HIV testing of migrants and their exclusion on the basis of HIV infection is a blatant violation of numerous human rights. Forced testing violates the right to bodily integrity and dignity, and the accompanying deportation or loss of employment and residency status on the basis of infection violates the rights of PLHIV to privacy, work, appropriate medical care, and non-discrimination. [55] The International Labour Organization has stated that neither HIV tests nor private HIV-related personal information should be required of employees or job applicants. [56]

HIV-related restrictions against entry, stay, and residence, in addition to being an ineffective public health measure to protect health and prevent the spread of infection, regularly violate the rights of travelers, migrant workers, and asylum seekers. Furthermore, these policies also violate migrants’ human rights to confidentiality and informed consent to testing and expose them to exploitation by their employers. A 2007 study on immigration policies in Asian countries that require HIV tests found that migrants entering Korea were routinely tested without their informed consent, not provided with test counseling, and deprived of the confidentiality of test results; further, those who tested positive were denied treatment and employment, and in some cases deported. [57] Subsequent investigations by Amnesty International have confirmed that this testing continues. [58]

Additionally, a 2015 decision by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination established that such policies can constitute racial discrimination. The decision, issued in response to a complaint filed by a New Zealand national who had lost her job for refusing to submit to Korea’s HIV testing policy targeting E2 visa holders, found that the policy constituted racial discrimination and was not “justified on public health grounds or any other ground, and is a breach of the right to work without distinction to race, colour, [or] national or ethnic origin.” [59]

Violating citizens’ right to health

Rather than accomplishing their supposed goal of protecting a country’s citizens from HIV infection, immigration policies banning or restricting entry or employment based on HIV status frequently have the opposite effect. Such policies legitimize and exacerbate the stigma surrounding HIV, further marginalize citizens living with HIV, and deprive citizens of accurate information on how to protect themselves from infection and their right to health. Regulations requiring HIV tests of immigrants can promote the idea that foreigners are dangerous to the national population and a public health risk, as well as create a false sense of security by reinforcing the notion that only migrants are at risk of infection. [60] Additionally, such attitudes can adversely affect the host country’s HIV rates, as HIV-positive citizens who underestimate their own HIV risk and avoid testing due to stigmatization are more likely to transmit the virus to others, driving up infection rates. [61]

This chain of events appears to be playing out in Korea, contributing to the country’s rapidly growing number of new HIV infections each year. The lack of robust evidence-based HIV-prevention programs marginalizes migrants and Korean PLHIV and perpetuates widespread ignorance and misinformation about how HIV is transmitted and how individuals can protect themselves from infection. [62] The stigma attached to HIV and the virus’s association with foreigners and social deviants actively discourage Koreans from accessing HIV testing and treatment—two of the most effective public health strategies for reducing viral transmission and preventing new infections. [63] Bizarrely, the Korean government cites the general public’s “terror” toward HIV and PLHIV as justification for maintaining its current policies—which perpetuate human rights abuses against both migrants and Korean citizens, contribute to diminished social participation and quality of life for PLHIV, and exacerbate the epidemic—rather than pursuing evidence-based HIV prevention strategies or enacting policies that actively protect human rights and empower HIV advocates. [64] These policies have fallen woefully short on both the health and human rights fronts, and their continuation will inevitably result in more human rights abuses against migrants and more new HIV infections in the country.

HIV-related immigration restrictions are framed as measures to protect public health by governments who employ them, including South Korea. However, this rationale has been explicitly rejected by international health and human rights experts and organizations. These policies have systematically deprived migrants to Korea of their rights to work, health, privacy, freedom from discrimination, and dignity, and they have been exposed as a public health failure and an ineffective means to control the spread of HIV. Furthermore, they are contributing to Korea’s domestic HIV epidemic by failing to combat misinformation and ignorance about HIV prevention and transmission and by entrenching stigma and discriminatory attitudes, which leads to Koreans avoiding HIV testing and treatment.

The recent removal of the HIV testing requirement for E2 visas demonstrates the potential of international human rights frameworks to challenge these restrictions. In September 2016, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea issued a decision determining that the testing policy had no public health justification and constituted racial discrimination, and recommended its removal. [65] Additionally, the decision found that the policy violated Korea’s obligations as a signatory to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and was a direct response to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s ruling the previous year.

In July 2017, the Korean Ministry of Justice removed the HIV testing requirement, citing the recent commission ruling. [66] These decisions based on Korea’s treaty obligations—which have the same weight as domestic law under the Korean Constitution—could, along with consistent pressure from international human rights and public health organizations, provide a mechanism to challenge HIV testing requirements for other visa categories. [67] However, this is only a partial solution, as local authorities and individual employers can still force workers to undergo testing either through coercion or by testing workers without their knowledge. It is worth noting that drug tests for E2 applicants remain in place, and a syphilis test is now required, leaving the potential for employers to request an HIV test from the health facility without informing their employees. [68] This surreptitious testing has already been documented for E6 and E9 visa workers, and even among Korean citizens. [69]

Laws forbidding discrimination against residents on the basis of HIV status are the surest way to protect the health and human rights of PLHIV and those at risk of infection. Without these explicit legal protections, HIV-related immigration restrictions have the potential to be revived even after being previously struck down. These types of restrictions are very popular among the Korean public, and similar measures have recently been discussed and even implemented in other nations. [70] Rather than using widespread horror toward HIV and cultural taboos about sexuality and risk behaviors as a shield for its current ineffective policies, the Korean government should abolish HIV-related travel restrictions for all visa categories, pass laws prohibiting the discrimination of PLHIV, and implement proven HIV prevention and education strategies on a nationwide scale. [71] In this way, Korea can bring its HIV epidemic under control and ensure the protection of human rights for citizens and migrants alike.

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Benjamin Wagner for his assistance and guidance on the international human rights legal aspects of this research. I would also like to thank Professor Madhu S. Atteraya for his helpful comments on this manuscript. Finally, my profound gratitude goes to Joel Keralis for his encouragement, insight, and support.

Jessica M. Keralis, MPH, is a governing councilor of the International Health Section of the American Public Health Association

Please address correspondence to Jessica Keralis. Email: [email protected].

Competing interests: None declared.

Copyright © 2017 Keralis. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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South Korea Drops HIV Screening of Foreigners, but Stigma Remains

The Ministry of Justice announced earlier this month that English teachers will no longer be screened for HIV during the visa application process to be eligible to enter and stay in South Korea.

The decision comes 10 years after the government changed its visa policies for foreign English teachers, in November of 2007. Motivated by widespread panic among South Koreans — a tipping point of which was the arrest of Christopher Paul, a teacher accused of serial child sex offenses — the Ministry of Justice said at the time that the new rules mandating HIV screening would “alleviate national anxiety” and “protect students.”

At the bottom of the 2007 policy guideline was a new “E-2 Applicant’s Health Statement,” which required applicants to check whether they had ever had an infectious disease, and whether they were HIV-positive.

The recent change reflects a positive turn for South Korean policy when it comes to HIV/AIDS, but the country continues to lag behind what international organizations recommend. The World Health Organization, in fact, emphasized the inefficacy of screening travellers as early as 1987 and said “no screening programme of international travellers can prevent the introduction and spread of HIV infection.”

Benjamin Wagner, a human rights lawyer who has closely followed HIV/AIDS policy in South Korea, told Korea Exposé in an email that the requirement was pulled “not because of controversy,” but “because it was illegal under Korean law as confirmed by the NHRCK [National Human Rights Commission of Korea].”

“[The restriction] harmed public health by amping up stigma around getting tested,” Wagner said, “and by depriving Koreans of accurate info on how HIV is spread (i.e. not by English teachers but by unsafe sexual practices).”

HIV/AIDS prevalence in South Korea is still relatively low — reaching 10,000 patients for the first time in 2015 — but has risen sharply since 2000. On the other hand, WHO findings show that global HIV/AIDS prevalence fell by 35 percent during the same 15 year period.

South Koreans are able to access HIV testing at any medical clinic, and in March of 2015, the city of Seoul began to offer free, quick and anonymous HIV blood tests at any of its 25 public health centers. According to Nanuri+ Solidarity for HIV/AIDS Human Rights activist Kwon Mi-ran, both South Koreans and foreigners are able to receive treatment at large hospitals — but price and insurance often get in the way for foreigners.

South Koreans receive state subsidy for medical expenses, but foreigners — especially those without proper health insurance — may be forced to bear the high costs of HIV/AIDS medication.

And while organizations like the Korean Federation for AIDS Prevention provides foreigners with HIV/AIDS resources and free, anonymous testing, HIV-positive foreigners are vulnerable to deportation out of the country, as potential “persons carrying an epidemic disease, narcotic addicts or other persons deemed likely to cause danger and harm to the public health” defined in Article 11 of the Immigration Control Act.

According to Michael Solis, a visiting researcher at the NHRCK, the government had deported more than 500 foreigners who were HIV-positive as of 2007. Kwon said that in 2010, following UNAIDS criticism of South Korean travel restrictions, the government stopped banning and deporting foreign teachers with HIV. But for those who test positive, it remains difficult to afford treatment or be hired as teachers and educators, she added.

Stigma around foreigners and HIV/AIDS remains. T he NHRCK  has estimated that people living with HIV/AIDS are 10 times more likely to commit suicide than those who are not, and a statement by the Anti-Homosexuality Christian Citizens’ Solidarity dubbed the recent change in policy to drop the mandatory HIV/AIDS screening of foreign English teachers “socialist” and “reverse discrimination” against South Koreans.

“The gov still isn’t in compliance with the Korean labor and rights laws because race-based drug testing continues,” said Wagner, who is still skeptical about the new policy. “[T]here’s another UN case in play now on the same issue and the ROK is still fighting against it.”

Multiple attempts by Korea Exposé to speak to relevant officials at the Ministries of Justice and of Health about the government’s policy on HIV/AIDS were unsuccessful.

Cover image: HIV blood test kits (source: UNICEF Ethiopia )

Editor’s Note: This article was revised on Jul. 24, 2017, to incorporate the view of Benjamin Wagner, a lawyer and HIV/AIDS advocate formerly based in South Korea.

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RIP, Baek Nam-gi Baek Nam-gi, the farmer knocked over by a police water cannon, has succumbed to his injuries (a skull fracture and brain hemorrhage) and passed away yesterday after being in a coma for the last 10 months. He was 69. As of press time there is a sit-up

Ethics Be Damned: South Korean Journalism Fails

I am from South Korea, but I make it a point not to write or speak in Korean about this country. That my Korean language skills have ossified from disuse is only one reason; it is more that my brushes with South Korean media are rarely uplifting. A case in

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I had 2 weeks of beautiful cherry blossom there.

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Why Go to Moscow as a Gay Man Living With HIV/AIDS?

Four-time Olympic gold medalist, gay man living with HIV, and activist

This post on AMERICAblog is what I saw as I weighed the possibility of going to Moscow for the LGBT-affirming Russian Open Games . So why go in the first place? It was for that 17-year-old boy who was tortured, beaten and raped with beer bottles and pissed on for just being himself. He was forced to say he was a pedophile. How can a 17-year-old boy be a pedophile?

There is true fear instilled in the Russian mentality that the two are the same, that if you are gay, then you are a pedophile. We know better, but in an indoctrinated country, who watches news every day to keep up with the world to have conversations outside watching the news?

I am sorry, but even I do not! The news is too depressing and often presents skewed views of the world. Take Sochi, for example. It was a dreamland, and that is exactly what it was compared to in my experience in Moscow. The Russian Open Games were to celebrate the diversity in Russia's own culture and bring self-esteem to LGBT people through sport, and to help them accept who they are as people and creative individuals.

This is why I went to Moscow! It was for that 17-year-old boy. And with regard to the "gay propaganda" laws, I have been saying all along that there is a gay child born in Russia every day, and who is there to protect that child from harm?

That is why I supported the Russian Open Games!

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8 phrases you'll rely on in Korea

So, you’ve booked your trip to South Korea and are excited for all the entertainment, food, nature, and city sights that await you. 

Before you flex your passport and head off on an epic vacation, here are eight phrases to help you once you land!

감사합니다 Romanization: gam-sa-ham-ni-da Translation: Thank you If you’re traveling to another country, thank people like your mother is watching. Respect is frequently shown through language in Korean, so it’s best to stick with this formal version while traveling. 

죄송합니다  Romanization: joe-song-ham-ni-da Translation: I am sorry Knowing how to say I’m sorry can help you out of a jam when traveling. You’ll want to use the formal version of this expression as well, and even add a small bow for extra politeness. (You can incorporate this body movement into saying hello and thank you , too.) 

당기세요  /  미세요  Romanization: dang-gi-se-yo / mi-se-yo  Translation: Push and pull Yes, you could figure out whether a door wants to be pushed or pulled by simply trying it. But do not underestimate the confidence that comes with knowing this in advance.

주세요 Romanization: Ju-se-yo Translation: Please give (or please may I have ) When ordering, say this phrase after the name of the item. Or if vocabulary escapes you, show a photo on your phone or point, and add 주세요. This utilitarian phrase is extremely helpful in both stores and cafes.  

매워요? Romanization: Mae-wo-yo? Translation: Is it spicy? Korea is home to buldak (fire chicken), tteok-bok-ki (rice cakes in chili sauce), and jjambbong (spicy seafood noodle soup), among other heat-bearing dishes. If that list of delicacies made your taste buds nervous, or spice just simply isn’t your bag, keep this phrase in your back pocket so you can ask before you bite.

잘 먹겠습니다 Romanization: Jal-meok-get-seum-ni-da Translation: Bon appétit The direct translation is “I will eat well.” (It’s Korea—you absolutely will.) But the more intangible meaning is along the lines of “Thank you for using your time and energy to cook for me, I will appreciate it with gratitude.” Generally, the phrase is used while dining with a group as a reminder of that gratitude, however you can also say it to the person who cooked your meal or if someone buys you a meal.

어떤 케이팝 그룹을 가장 좋아해요? Romanization: Eotteon keipap geurub-eul gajang joahaeyo? Translation: Which KPOP group do you like the most? Maybe Korea’s prolific entertainment industry inspired you to visit. Or maybe you’re just in the position of having to make small talk—but with no clue how to do it. Either way, asking about KPOP is usually a good way to start. The industry contributed an estimated 5 billion to Korea’s economy, so it’s an easy topic for many. Maybe you’ll even get some unexpected music recommendations! Being a fan of KPOP can even help you with your language lessons.

대박 Romanization: Dae-bak Translation: Awesome, cool, amazing, jackpot A slang way to express joy and excitement! This word also has elements of unexpected surprise. So, save it for moments when your amazement and joy bubbles over, and you simply can’t believe your good luck.

Pack a few Korean phrases for your trip!

It can feel intimidating to use your new Korean skills—but it doesn’t have to be! Start slowly incorporating a few phrases into your interactions, and enjoy creating new connections along the way.  

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Strengthen your english with these 16 synonyms for "a lot", dear duolingo: how can i learn to think in a new language.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow warns it could go to war with NATO over US move - as Germany follows Washington in approving strikes inside Russia with its weapons

Germany has followed the US in approving strikes inside Russia using its weapons - as Moscow warns the moves could cause a war with NATO. Meanwhile, Ukraine reportedly launched a large missile and drone attack overnight.

Saturday 1 June 2024 08:31, UK

• Biden partially lifts ban on Ukraine using US arms to attack Russia, US officials say - with cross-border strikes allowed  
• Moscow warns it could go to war with NATO over US move - as Putin ally says Russia 'not bluffing' over nuclear threats
• Germany follows US in announcing Ukraine can now use its weapons to strike targets in Russia
• At least four dead in Kharkiv from overnight Russian missile strikes
• Watch: Freed Ukrainian prisoners weep as they sing on way home after two years in captivity
• Analysis: Sharp change of US policy increases chance of direct confrontation with Russia
• The big picture : What you need to know about the war right now
• Live reporting by Lauren Russell and Dylan Donnelly

We'll be back with live updates soon.

Scroll down to read today's news.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has wrapped up a flurry of negotiations in Sweden and signed long-term security deals with Norway and Iceland.

Earlier, we reported that the Ukrainian president had struck an agreement while in Stockholm (see 13.26 post).

Now, Mr Zelenskyy has signed a 10-year deal with Norway, through which Oslo will focus on supporting Ukraine's maritime and air defence needs.

Norway would be "open" to the Norwegian defence industry localising production in Ukraine under the deal. Iceland has also committed to a 10-year pact.

The new agreements mean Mr Zelenskyy now has 15 written pacts with Western nations, including all five Nordic countries - which are all NATO countries.

He previously agreed security pacts with Denmark and Finland in February and April respectively.

Sweden's agreement means Stockholm will transfer two ASC 890 surveillance aircraft as well as its entire stock of armoured tracked personnel carriers.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said earlier: "You are literally fighting not only for your own freedom but also for our freedom and our security."

A Russian-American journalist will be detained until at least 5 August ahead of an investigation and trial.

Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for the US government-funded Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty’s Tatar-Bashkir service, was taken into custody on 18 October.

She's been charged with failing to register as a foreign agent while collecting information about the Russian military.

Later, she was also charged with spreading "false information" about the Russian military.

Ms Kurmasheva told reporters she suffered from various health conditions which could not be properly treated in detention. 

She also said she had last heard her children's voices in October, and held up two children's drawings for reporters which she said had been sent to her and had lifted her spirits.

She was the second American journalist detained in Russia last year, after Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

He was arrested on espionage charges in March. A year later, President Joe Biden said  the US was "working every day"  to secure his release.

Read more about her charges  here...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia is trying to disrupt Ukraine's peace summit in June by blackmailing world leaders.

Speaking in Stockholm after signing a security pact with Sweden, the Ukrainian president said: "The most important thing right now is the peace summit. It should become a truly global summit.

"At this moment, we already have about 100 states and international organisations that will participate in the summit, but Russia is blackmailing some leaders and trying to block the participation of some countries."

Earlier, China's foreign ministry spokesperson defended Beijing's refusal to attend the summit - held 15-16 June in Switzerland - which Russia is not invited to.

Mao Ning insisted its demands for an international peace conference that is recognised by both Russia and Ukraine are "fair" and "impartial" (see 10.53 post).

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said China's decision shows Beijing understands that holding a peace summit without Russia would be futile.

Mr Zelenskyy also said it's "a question of time" before Ukraine uses Western weapons to strike targets inside Russia (see 13.26 post).

The Kremlin has dismissed France's refusal to invite Russian officials to events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in the Second World War.

Yesterday, the French presidency said Russia would not be invited next week over what Paris called "Moscow's war of aggression" against Ukraine.

Despite Vladimir Putin and officials accusing the West of trying to "erase" Russia's contributions to the war effort, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was planning for next year's Victory Day.

He said "next year, you know, is an extremely important year for us", as it marks 80 years since the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany.

"This is our main priority in terms of memorial actions."

Earlier this week, Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Western countries of presenting D-Day as "the main event that decided the outcome of World War Two".

She said: "Of course, nothing is said in the West about the fact that no landing in Normandy would have been possible without the successes of the Red Army. 

"They are trying not only not to remember, but to erase it."

Kremlin officials have today been issuing various statements - including dire threats of war with NATO - in response to Western powers' decisions to let Ukraine use weapons they have supplied to attack inside Russia.

But Jens Stoltenberg, the military alliance's secretary-general, has dismissed the threats and insisted NATO was simply helping Kyiv defend itself.

"This is nothing new. It has… been the case for a long time that every time NATO allies are providing support to Ukraine, President Putin is trying to threaten us to not do that," he said in Prague.

"And an escalation – well, Russia has escalated by invading another country."

Citing Russia's northern offensive against the Kharkiv region in Ukraine, Mr Stoltenberg added: "Ukraine has the right for self-defence, we have the right to help Ukraine uphold the right for self-defence, and that does not make NATO allies a party to the conflict.

"That was the case back in February 2022, that was the case last year, that remains the case."

Ten foreign ministers, including Lord Cameron, are demanding North Korea stop supplying weapons to Russia.

Earlier this month, Russia dismissed claims it was working with Pyongyang on military matters and said the relationship between the countries was not a threat to others.

But the ministers say Russia is using North Korean arms transfers "to strike Ukraine's critical infrastructure, prolonging the suffering of the Ukrainian people".

They also called for North Korea to end its nuclear weapons programme.

Yesterday, North Korea fired a barrage of ballistic missile to show it is willing to strike South Korea's "gangsters' regime" pre-emptively.

Meanwhile, some of the officials are in Prague for a two-day NATO summit, where they've discussed allowing Ukraine to use weapons they have supplied to strike inside of Russia.

Germany announced it will allow Kyiv to do so, to the anger of Russian officials (see 10.30am post).

Earlier, we reported that Ukraine and Russia had carried out their first prisoner swap since February (see 13.05 post).

Now, Ukraine's defence ministry has shared a video of freed prisoners singing Ukraine, originally by Taras Petrynenko, as they're brought back home.

Leading the sing-along is Kostyantyn Myrhorodskyi, who was in Russian captivity for more than two years.

Some of the men with him on the coach can be seen weeping as they are overcome with emotion by the moment. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed Joe Biden approved for US weapons to be used inside Russia. 

Speaking to reporters in the Czech Republic following a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Mr Blinken said Ukraine asked for authorisation to allow its forces to defend itself against Russian attacks, particularly in the city of Kharkiv.

The meeting of NATO foreign ministers comes before a summit in Washington from 9 -11 July. 

Mr Blinken said during the summit, "concrete steps" will be taken to bring Ukraine closer to NATO and the US will "ensure there's a bridge for Ukraine to NATO membership".

He said the summit is happening at a "pivotal time" when Russia is intensifying its attacks against frontline regions in Ukraine.

After last night's missile strike on a block of flats, Russia's defence ministry says it has carried out 25 attacks in Kharkiv.

According to the Interfax news agency, the strikes were carried out between 25 May and 31 May with precision-guided weapons, and targeted Ukrainian military facilities.

The ministry adds Russian troops are advancing in several directions - and have captured two villages - Berestove and Ivanivka - in the Kharkiv region.

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12 Best Korean Skincare Brands for All Ages and Skin Types

These K-beauty products will help you get the glowy, "glass skin" everyone is after.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

In Korean skincare, natural ingredients are blended with powerful actives to give you a healthy, hydrated and dewy complexion. From cleansers and moisturizers featuring traditional Asian skincare ingredients like ginseng, green tea and rice water to masks and serums with trusted skincare staples like retinol and niacinamide , Korean skincare brands have something for everyone, regardless of budget or skin type.

We've consulted Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab Director Sabina Wizemann , reviewed ingredient lists and vetted dozens of customer reviews to locate the best Korean skincare brands available in the U.S., along with standout products to help you achieve your best skin ever . Whether you're dealing with dryness, skin sensitivity, acne , or any other concern, these Asian-owned beauty brands can support your skin journey.

Want to dive even deeper? Keep scrolling for more tips on how to get Korean glass skin. Then, check out our guides to the best Korean sunscreens , best Korean haircare products and the best Korean face masks for further exploration of the K-Beauty industry.

Dry skin, oily skin, combination skin — all skin types can reap the benefits of Belif's Korean skincare line. The brand considers itself an expert in all things hydration, utilizing tried-and-true ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalane and ceramides that are commonly found in American skincare products. Lightweight and layerable, Belif products support a healthy skin barrier and help give your skin that plump, bouncy texture you're after.

Reviewers far and wide rave about how Belif products leave their skin feeling hydrated and balanced. For example, one GHI tester praised the jelly cleanser from Belif's bestselling Aqua Bomb collection (a past GH Beauty Award winner ) for being "so gentle yet really works and the formula makes me actually look forward to cleansing!" These popular Aqua Bomb products will make anyone a believer:

• Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb ($65)
• Belif Aqua Bomb Hydrating Jelly Cleanser ($30)
• Belif Aqua Bomb Hydrating Toner ($30)

From serums to toners to cleansers, the Korean skincare brand Innisfree has something for everyone, especially those looking to brighten dull skin and even out dark spots. Products incorporate natural ingredients like green tea while also tapping into powerful actives like retinol to create a diverse set of offerings that can be mixed, matched, and cycled to suit your skin needs.

Reviewers praise how hydrating, evening and brightening many of the products are — all while being lightweight and low-cost. In Beauty Lab assessments, this Innisfree Retinol Cica Moisture Recovery Serum (a 2023 GH Beauty Award ) winner was found to be suitable for sensitive and redness-prone skin, with one tester sharing that their "skin was clearer, brighter, softer and smoother with no discomfort." Here are a few additional innisfree products worth adding to your weekly routine:

• Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 36 ($18)
• Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask ($16)
• Innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum ($30)

When you think of lip masks, there's a good chance the viral Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is the first to pop into your mind. "I haven’t found anything that compares to it," says GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Danusia Wnek . "I love it how it applies easily onto lips, leaving them feeling soft and nourished without being sticky or tacky. It literally feels like a cushiony cloud on lips."

In addition to cult-favorite lip products , the Amorepacific-owned company is known for its nourishing face masks and moisturizers. Like so many K-beauty brands, Laneige is all about hydration. Here are a few products under $40 that anyone will love:

• Laneige Lip Glowy Balm ($19)
• Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Moisturizer ($23)
• Laneige Water Sleeping Mask ($32)

Affordable skincare solutions are at the heart of CosRx, as is a unique Korean skincare ingredient: snail mucin . According to Wizemann, this celebrity slugging secret " promotes skin repair and hydration ," two things acne-prone skin should prioritize.

Though it's CosRx's Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence that went viral, the budget-friendly Korean skincare brand offers dozens of other products that can help achieve balanced, soothed and bright skin. Chock-full of actives and hydrating ingredients, these CosRx bestsellers support blemish-prone skin without leaving it feeling stripped:

• CosRx Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream ($16)
• Master Patch Blemish Cover 240-Pack ($35)
• CosRx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner ($25)

Amore Pacific

If you're looking for a luxurious Korean skincare experience, look no further than Amore Pacific. As the flagship brand of its parent company, the Amorepacific Group (which owns other popular K-beauty brands like Sulwahsoo, Laneige and Innisfree), it's famed for its focus on botanical extracts like green tea, bamboo extract and ginseng.

Reviewers love the brand's luxurious textures and formulas, like that of the Amore Pacific Time Response Eye Reserve Crème , a bestselling product and a winner in Beauty Lab testing. It earned perfect scores for firming and hydrating, and testers ranked it best for de-puffing. Here are a few additional Amore Pacific products worth treating yourself to:

• Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder ($68)
• Amore Pacific Color Control Cushion Compact Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ ($75)
• Amore Pacific Vintage Single Extract Essence ($175)

Sulwahsoo's luxurious line of skincare products stars Korean ginseng as its hero ingredient . The brand has a deep love for traditional Korean herbs and includes several botanicals in its careful formulations. As a result, its products are incredibly lightweight with effective moisturizing benefits. Here are a few ginseng-packed Sulwahsoo products to add to your routine:

• Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum ($89)
• Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Oil Makeup Remover ($40)
• Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream ($145)

Filled with soothing skincare favorites like cica and ceramides, Dr. Jart+ products are great for fans of Korean face masks. The brand's hero sheet masks come in variations for every skincare concern : dehydration, acne, redness, uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles, you name it. Dr Jart+'s hyaluronic acid-packed Vital Hydra Solution Pro Glow Face Mask performed particularly well in Beauty Lab testing, earning high praise for soothing and calming skin.

Once you've found a Dr. Jart+ face mask that suits your skincare needs, you can expand your collection with cleansers, toners, moisturizers, and other everyday essentials featuring the same key ingredients. Here are a few Dr. Jart+ staples to get you started:

• Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream ($48)
• Dr. Jart+ Every Sun Day Face Sunscreen SPF 50+ ($44)
• Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30 ($54)

The affordable Korean skincare brand Cocokind is focused on hydration and skin barrier support for sensitive skin. Its affordable offering features anti-inflammatory turmeric, barrier-boosting ceramides and lipids and other effective K-beauty ingredients that won't cause irritation.

Individuals with eczema and other skin sensitivities should keep an eye out for Cocokind products with a National Eczema Association seal of approval , as they'll be the most gentle. This trio of under-$30 products will treat your skin right:

• Cocokind Daily SPF 32 Mineral Sunscreen ($25)
• Cocokind Cocokind Chlorophyll Discoloration Serum ($20)
• Cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum ($19)

If dry skin is among your top skincare concerns, then Illiyoon should be on your radar. Its affordable Korean skincare products are packed with ceramides that work well for dry, sensitive and acne-prone skin . Even better, they're made without added dyes and fragrances that can cause irritation.

Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Lotion , a lightweight moisturizer, is a GH office favorite. "This product really helped with dry patches on skin," shares Sophie Park, Commerce Content Strategy Manager. "It feels hydrating, leaves a dewy finish, has a lot of product (so it lasts a while), and is price-friendly." These Illiyoon bestsellers are equally as moisturizing:

• Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Body Cream ($25)
• Illiyoon Ceramide Ato 6.0 Top to Toe Wash ($19)
• Illiyoon Fresh Moisture Lip and Eye Makeup Remover ($26)

Shop Missha on Amazon

For soothed skin, try. The K-skincare brand provides hydrating options for every step of your morning and nighttime routine, whether it's to prep skin for makeup or firm skin in the evening . Missha's Time Revolution line is its most popular, owning largely to innovative fermented ingredients that target a wide array of skincare concerns at once. Here are our top picks from the brand:

• Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule Cream ($27)
• Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence Rx ($31)
• Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream with SPF ($10)

Beauty of Joseon

Glass skin, dewy skin, glowy skin — no matter what you call it, everyone wants that super hydrated look right now, and everyone can achieve it with Beauty of Joseon products. The brand combines elements of a traditional Korean herbal medicine called Hanbang with modern formulations and skincare technologies. Packed with ingredients you won't find often here in the U.S., such as red bean and propolis, these Beauty of Joseon bestsellers will aid you on your journey to Korean glass skin:

• Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum ($17)
• Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel Moisturizer ($18)
• Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum ($16.50)

Korean skincare products, especially those formulated by Aestura, have a reputation for being particularly sensitive skin-friendly. Developed to support a healthy skin barrier , the brand's gentle moisturizers, cleansers, serums, and other skincare upgrades can help minimize redness, increase hydration, and soothe irritation and acne inflammation. Here are a few Aestura favorites that are suitable for sensitive skin of every age and skin type:

• Aestura Atobarrier365 Cream ($32)
• Aestura Atobarrier365 Ceramide Hydro Soothing Cream ($34)
• Aestura A-Cica365 Blemish Calming Face Serum ($40)

What is Korean glass skin?

To truly understand Korean skincare, one must first understand the "glass skin" trend. According to Wizemann, " The glass skin effect is a term popularized by Korean skincare enthusiasts and refers to a complexion that appears exceptionally smooth, clear, and reflective, similar to glass. Achieving glass skin involves having a well-hydrated and balanced complexion with minimal visible pores, fine lines, or blemishes. This look is often achieved through a diligent skincare routine focusing on hydration, exfoliation, and nourishment. Products like hydrating serums, lightweight moisturizers, and gentle exfoliants are commonly used to help achieve this effect."

Is Korean or American skincare better?

By now, you're probably asking yourself why is Korean skincare so much better? While it's easy to pit Korean and American skincare brands against each other, it would be incorrect to say one country's skincare products are '"better" than the other. Instead, think of them as having different focuses and methodologies.

" Korean skincare routines usually concentrate on keeping the skin hydrated by layering multiple lightweight products and using gentle ingredients. There's also an emphasis on achieving a glowing complexion. American skincare often prioritizes on targeting specific concerns like acne or wrinkles, focusing on more potent active ingredients like retinol and glycolic acid," explains Wizemann.

She also notes, "Some Korean skincare products may not be allowed in the US due to differences in regulations and ingredient restrictions. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strict policies regarding the use of certain ingredients, such as higher concentrations of certain acids, botanical extracts, or novel ingredients that have not received FDA approval. Some Korean skincare products may also contain ingredients that are considered prescription drugs in the US, like certain types of retinoids. For this reason, it's essential to carefully examine the ingredients list and make sure that any skincare products you purchase comply with US regulations."

What are the main ingredients in Korean skincare products?

Wizemann points out that "Korean skincare is known for its diverse range of products and ingredients ," most of which focus on hydrating dry skin and soothing irritation to create plump, dewy skin with a glass-like finish. Here are a few popular K-beauty ingredients to look for in Korean skincare products:

• Hyaluronic Acid: Provides deep hydration and plumps the skin
• Snail Mucin: Promotes skin repair and hydration
• Green Tea Extract: Rich in antioxidants, soothes and protects the skin
• Centella Asiatica (Cica): Calms inflammation and supports skin barrier function
• Niacinamide: Helps brighten skin and improve uneven skin tone
• Beta-Glucans: Moisturize and strengthen the skin barrier

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

GH Institute Beauty Lab director Sabina Wizemann , who conducts product testing across all skincare categories and has overseen large consumer studies for over a decade, contributed her expertise to this article. Wizemann is highly knowledgeable about skincare, including Korean skincare products.

This Korean skincare guide was written by Hearst Magazines commerce writer Sarah Maberry , who has more than four years of experience researching and writing about beauty products, including Korean skincare and sunscreens . Her picks for the best Korean skincare brands were based on personal testing, market research, customer reviews and insights from experts at the GH Institute.

Catharine (she/her) is the beauty assistant at Good Housekeeping , Woman’s Day and Prevention, working closely with the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab to write science-backed beauty content. She was previously an assistant beauty editor at Group Nine Media and returned to Hearst in 2022 after having held editorial internships at Harper’s Bazaar and CR Fashion Book. Catharine received a B.A. in journalism from the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Sarah Maberry is a commerce writer for Hearst Magazines, where she covers fashion, beauty and pop culture. A seasoned trend forecaster and fashion historian, she analyzes viral products and trends on a deeper level. When she’s not writing for Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR, House Beautiful, Town & Country, Delish and other publications, she can be found roaming the Museum at FIT (her alma matter) or sewing her own couture while she binge-watches reality TV.  

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South Korean, Chinese and Japanese leaders discuss thorny topics and ways to boost cooperation

Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet in Seoul on Monday for their first trilateral talks in more than four years. (AP video shot by Yong-ho Kim)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, left, waves to media members before getting into a car as Kim Hong-kyun, right, South Korean 1st vice foreign minister, follows behind at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024, as the premier arrives for a trilateral meeting. Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet next week in Seoul for their first trilateral talks since 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang waves as he arrives for a trilateral meeting at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet next week in Seoul for their first trilateral talks since 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, second right, is welcomed by Kim Hong-kyun, right, South Korean 1st vice minister, as the premier arrives for a trilateral meeting, at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet next week in Seoul for their first trilateral talks since 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left, shakes hands with Chinese Premier Li Qiang before their meeting in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaks during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a meeting at the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, Pool)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, center left, is welcomed by Kim Hong-kyun, right, South Korean 1st vice foreign minister, as the premier arrives for a trilateral meeting at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet next week in Seoul for their first trilateral talks since 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives for a trilateral meeting, at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet next week in Seoul for their first trilateral talks since 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, second from right, speaks to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, second from left, during a meeting at the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, Pool)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang waves to media members upon his arrival for trilateral meetings at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet next week in Seoul for their first trilateral talks since 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, third left, holds a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, third right, in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang waves to media members before getting into a car as Kim Hong-kyun, right, South Korean 1st vice foreign minister, follows behind at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024, as the premier arrives for a trilateral meeting. Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet next week in Seoul for their first trilateral talks since 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gesture during a meeting at the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, Pool)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida move their positions during a meeting at the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, Pool)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Japanese and South Korean leaders raised sensitive topics like Taiwan, North Korea and the South China Sea as well as ways to boost cooperation when they individually met China’s premier Sunday on the eve of a fuller trilateral meeting.

It was unclear how serious discussions the three leaders had on those thorny issues, which are not among the official agenda items for Monday’s three-way gathering in Seoul, the first of its kind in more than four years.

No major announcement is expected from the meeting, but observers say that just resuming the highest-level talks among the three Northeast Asian neighbors is a good sign and suggests they are intent on improving relations. Their trilateral meeting was supposed to happen annually but it had stalled since the last one in December 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and complex ties among the three countries.

After meeting Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that he expressed serious concerns about the situations in the South China Sea, Hong Kong and China’s northwestern Xinjiang region. He said Japan is closely monitoring developments on self-governed Taiwan.

He referred to China’s military assertiveness in the South China Sea, clampdowns of pro-democracy movements in Hong Kong and human rights abuses against minorities in Xinjiang. Last week, China also launched a large military exercise around Taiwan to show its anger over the inauguration of the island’s new president who refuses to accept its insistence that Taiwan is part of China.

During a separate meeting with Li, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, on his part, asked China, as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, to contribute to promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula, while speaking about North Korea’s nuclear program and its deepening military ties with Russia, according to Yoon’s office.

Yoon’s office said Yoon and Kishida in their separate meeting expressed worries about North Korea’s nuclear program and agreed to strengthen their cooperation with the United States.

South Korea, Japan and the U.S. have long urged China — North Korea’s major ally and economic pipeline — to use its leverage to persuade the North to abandon its nuclear ambitions. But China is suspected of avoiding fully enforcing U.N. sanctions on North Korea and sending clandestine aid shipments to help its impoverished neighbor stay afloat.

The three leaders also discussed how to bolster economic and other cooperation.

Yoon and Li agreed to launch a new South Korean-Chinese dialogue channel involving senior diplomats and defense officials in mid-June. They also agreed to restart negotiations to expand the free trade agreement and reactivate dormant bodies on personnel exchanges, investments and other issues, according to Yoon’s office.

Chinese state media reported Li told Yoon that the two countries should safeguard the stability of their deeply intertwined industrial and supply chains and resist turning economic and trade issues into political and security-related issues.

Kishida said he and Li reaffirmed Japan and China will seek progress on various areas to promote mutually beneficial relations. Kishida and Yoon also said they agreed to further strengthen ties, which have warmed significantly since last year following an earlier setback over issues related to Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean officials said that a joint statement after Monday’s trilateral meeting will cover the leaders’ discussion on cooperation in areas like people-to-people exchanges, climate change, trade, health issues, technology and disaster responses.

The three Asian nations are important trading partners and their cooperation is key to promoting regional peace and prosperity. They together make up about 25% of global gross domestic product. But the three countries have been repeatedly embroiled in bitter disputes over a range of historical and diplomatic issues originating from Japan’s wartime atrocities. China’s rise and a U.S. push reinforce its Asian alliances have also significantly impacted their three-way ties in recent years.

Experts say South Korea, China and Japan now share a need to improve ties. South Korea and Japan want better ties with China because it is their biggest trading partner. China, for its part, likely believes a further strengthening of the South Korea-Japan-U.S. cooperation would hurt its national interests.

China, meanwhile, has always sent its premier, the country’s No. 2 official, to the trilateral leaders’ meeting since its first session in 2008. Observers say China earlier argued that under then-collective leadership, its premier was chiefly in charge of economic affairs and best suited to attend the meeting, which largely focuses on economic issues.

But they say China may face more demands for President Xi Jinping to attend because he has concentrated power in his hands and defied the norms of collective leadership.

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan contributed to this report.

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China's premier hails 'new beginning' with US-allied South Korea, Japan

• Medium Text
• Countries hold first trilateral summit since 2019
• Declaration calls for trade, environmental, cultural cooperation
• China urges economics be separate from politics
• Summit reduced frictions, did not reshape geopolitics - analyst

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Writing by Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang, Ju-min Park, and Jihoon Lee in Seoul, Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo in Beijing and Sakura Murakami and Nobuhiro Kobo in Tokyo; Editing by Stephen Coates, Michael Perry, William Maclean

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• Archer Aviation

Archer Aviation finds a partner to commercialize eVTOL travel in Korea, demo flights coming in Q4

Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Archer Aviation is continuing to lay the global groundwork for commercial operations in a new territory: South Korea. The next-generation aircraft specialist has announced a new partnership with Korea’s leading mobility-as-a-service company, KaKaoMobility, to participate in the country’s Grand Challenge and bring eVTOL travel to the region quickly.

Archer Aviation  ($ACHR) is one of the more popular eVTOL developers in a growing segment of emissions-free air travel that continues to wield momentum as a global player in the space. With airworthiness certification from the FAA already in place and investments from big names like United, Stellantis, and even the US Air Force , Archer has (literally) taken to the skies and expanded its brand outward beyond its headquarters in Santa Clara, California.

In the fall of 2023, mere days after announcing a deal to launch eVTOL air taxi services across the United Arab Emirates , Archer Aviation completed a maiden voyage in its flagship Midnight aircraft in its native US.

As Archer continues the Midnight’s “for credit” testing process to achieve commercial operation authorization with the FAA this year, it has continued to secure partnerships in other countries to bring advanced air mobility (AAM) to the masses. Since the initial eVTOL flight, Archer has signed deals to bring air taxi operations to India while most recently expanding its plans in the UAE in a new deal worth an estimated $500 million .

Today, Archer shared additional expansion plans in Asia, securing a fresh partnership in South Korea to help the country reach its ambitious plans to bring commercial eVTOL operations to the region by 2026. With a payment plan already in place, those efforts are expected to begin later this year.

Archer and KaKaoMobility to help bring eVTOLs to Korea

Per an update from Archer Aviation early this morning, it has signed an agreement with KaKaoMobility to jointly participate in the K-UAM Grand Challenge – a public-private demonstration held in the country to garner public support for eVTOL technology.

As part of the agreement, KaKaoMobility has agreed to pay Archer $7 million in 2024 to begin developing and establishing commercial eVTOL operations in Korea, followed by a second payment installation expected to follow in early 2025. The agreement also entitles KaKaoMobility to the purchase of up to 50 Archer Midnight eVTOLs worth approximately $250 million. Pre-delivery payments are also expected in 2025 following the Grand Challenge.

However, before then, Archer and KaKaoMobility intend to use the 2024 Grand Challenge as a public stage to demonstrate how eVTOL aircraft can transform daily commutes in Korea. The demonstrations will take place beside South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), which is hosting the event and has vowed to help commercialize urban air mobility (UAM) by the mid-2020s. Archer’s chief commercial officer, Nikhil Goel, elaborated:

Archer is expanding its international launch strategy to South Korea through this landmark partnership between Archer Aviation and KakaoMobility. Together, we are committed to revolutionizing transportation with Archer’s eVTOL aircraft, ushering in a future of cleaner, faster, and more efficient travel between and within Korean cities.

Looking ahead, KaKaoMobility intends to own and operate Archer’s eVTOL technology in South Korea and offer air taxi rides to its 30 million current app users as early as 2026. Service is expected to begin in the capital of Seoul, where, according to Archer, the average commuter spends roughly 90 minutes per day stuck in road traffic.

Archer says it will work alongside KaKaoMobility with a goal to conduct public demonstration flights in Korea by late 2024. The K-UAM Grand Challenge is currently accepting applicants and will allow five to demo their technology this coming December.

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Scooter Doll is a writer, designer and tech enthusiast born in Chicago and based on the West Coast. When he’s not offering the latest tech how tos or insights, he’s probably watching Chicago sports. Please send any tips or suggestions, or dog photos to him at [email protected]

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