S. Korea's Latest Curbs Leave Some Foreigners Shut Out

Move to not accept their vaccination status means they are barred from eateries, cinemas

SEOUL • South Korea imposed stricter measures yesterday to contain growing coronavirus cases and the Omicron variant, leaving some foreign residents who had been vaccinated overseas effectively barred from places such as restaurants, cafes and cinemas.

South Korea recognises the vaccination status of Korean citizens who were vaccinated overseas, but not that of foreigners, unless they entered the country under a quarantine exemption.

Some foreign residents, particularly those from Europe and the United States, were vaccinated earlier in the year when South Korea had not yet made vaccines available, and were not eligible for the quarantine exemptions that were extended to certain people in business or education, or for humanitarian reasons.