Quarantining in South Korea
Just as a quick disclaimer: this post describes my own experience with quarantining and the rules that apply as of this writing. Quarantine regulations will continue to change, so please make sure you do your own research on what’s required before leaving!
Well, here we are. It’s now 2022 and I’m finally back in Korea.
I first came to Seoul in the year 2019 as part of a study abroad program. I arrived wide-eyed and full of ambitions in August 2019 and planned to stay until June 2020. That -as one may guess- did not entirely happen. My program was canceled after seven months following the first outbreak of COVID in Korea and I was promptly sent home. While it was crushing at the time, considering how everything panned out, I am very glad to have returned home. Still, through the days of isolation, online schooling, and lackadaisical drudgery that generally defined the two years since, I was missing Korea a lot. I often found myself browsing through old photos and incessantly talking about my experiences in Korea as if they had happened last week.
After two years, I’ve landed the opportunity to return to South Korea! This time, I’ll be participating in a 3-month-long internship for a Korean tourism company. I can talk more specifically about that at a later time, but right now I want to share what it’s currently like traveling to South Korea. As expected, the process of getting into the country has changed drastically since my last visit in 2019. Most notably, everyone entering the country must quarantine for 10 days.* This post will describe how to get through the Incheon International Airport, how to quarantine, and what quarantining in a Korean government facility is like. Without further ado, let’s get started!
*there are a few exceptions to this rule; click here to see if you qualify.
Navigating the airport
Navigating the airport took a lot of preparation, from applying for a K-ETA, to getting a pre-flight COVID test, to figuring out how I’d be quarantining. At first glance, all the additional paperwork and regulations may seem daunting, but fear not! If you pack properly and plan for a variety of scenarios in advance, you will be fine.
Below is a list of some of the basics needed to successfully get through the airport and out the arrivals gate.
Valid passport
Visa/K-ETA: A K-ETA is an electronic visa that is now used instead of a traditional visa. You can apply for a K-ETA here.
Proof of a negative COVID PCR test done within 72 hours.
COVID vaccination card: While not technically necessary to get through the airport unless you are applying for quarantine exemption, you’ll need this to do most things in South Korea. As of writing this, Korean vaccine passes are required when going to places such as cafes, department stores, supermarkets, theaters, noraebang(karaoke), PC bangs, museums, art galleries, bars, night clubs, saunas, and more. In order to get a Korean vaccine pass, you’ll need to present your own vaccination card to a Korean public health center.
The Official Isolation and Safety Protection app* and the Self-Check app: You will use these apps daily while in isolation to record you temperature. Officials at the airport and quarantine center will check to make sure both of these apps are downloaded and can help you download them if you need help. I do recommend downloading them in advance however, as it’ll be less hassle.
*listed as “자가격리자 안전보호 앱” in the app store.
Quarantine exemption certificate (if applying for quarantine exemption)
Besides the apps, make sure to have all of this information printed out and on your person once you get off the plane, especially the negative PCR test. Of all the documents I carried, my PCR test and passport were needed to get through almost every station of Incheon airport. I brought a thin folder with me to carry all of my documents.
While on the plane heading to Seoul, I received a few documents to fill out; along with the usual traveler declaration form and arrival form, I received a health declaration form, which asked standard questions about any COVID symptoms I may have been experiencing, and a paper instructing how to download the isolation apps mentioned above. There is also a travel record declaration form (which is different from the traveler declaration form). The stewardess didn’t give me this last document while on the plane, so I had to fill it out once I landed.
Upon arrival at the airport, I headed to the arrivals line which was near the gate I exited from. Here, I presented the health declaration form, the traveler record declaration, my passport, and my PCR test results. While waiting in line, there was a temperature monitor which scanned everyone as they walked past. If you’re temperature is too high, someone will pull you aside to take a COVID test in a separately designated area.
At the arrival window, once I showed the official my PCR test, a sticker was placed on my passport reading “PCR submitter.”
After getting past the first station, I headed down a line designated for those with foreign passports. At this second stop, someone verified that I had downloaded the Official Isolation and Safety Protection app and showed me how to use it. They also asked how I’d be quarantining: at a government facility or in self-isolation. Being a short-term visiting foreign national, I had to choose the government facility.
Government Quarantine
In order to manage the number of people traveling to Korea daily, the Korean government has turned various buildings throughout Korea into quarantine facilities. From my understanding, hotels are the most common place to be sent to, especially if you are proven to be COVID- negative at the airport. There are also quarantining facilities throughout Korea designated for those that test positive with COVID, housing individuals based on the severity of their symptoms. These building were all previously owned by public organizations, private corporations, colleges, and universities. Examples include dormitories and youth hostels. Quarantining individuals do not get a say in which place they are sent to; it is entirely randomized. Leaving the facility while quarantining is illegal and will lead to fines, deportation, and possible arrest.
Self-isolation
Self-isolation is open to Korean and foreign nationals residing in Korea, their spouses, and their lineal descendants. For self-isolation, individuals stay in their own homes or, for spouses and descendants, the homes of their relatives for 10-days rather than at a government facility. For more details and to see if you qualify for self-isolation, click here.
After verifying where I’d be quarantining, I was sent to another line where I presented all my documents again and was given a lanyard to wear around my neck. From there, I was able to go to baggage claim. I unfortunately did not get a picture but, while getting my suitcases there was a security team patrolling with a cute little beagle wearing a vest that said, “Quarantine Patrol Team.” The team came up to me and asked if the dog could sniff my luggage (I guess for COVID?). The dog then proceeded to go down the lines of suitcases and smell them all. It was quite adorable.
After getting my bags I went to the customs line and gave them my traveler declaration form and arrival form. Once I stepped through the arrival gate, there was another table set up. I had to present them my stickered passport, which they promptly covered with another sticker, and sent me to a zoned off area where I waited with a few others. We were not allowed to leave the area, so if you were planning to get your SIM card or do any currency exchange while at the airport, I’d say that’s highly unlikely. After waiting for about 10 minutes, some officials led a group of us to a separate waiting area where we were asked to present our negative PCR tests and passports for the third time. After that, we were sent to wait about another 30 minutes for buses that would take us to the quarantine facility.
Once the buses came and our luggage was stored, we returned our lanyards to one of the employees and were off to quarantine. The bus I was on went to Marinabay Gimpo Hotel, which was about 1 hour from the Airport.
After arriving, we were sent in a room where we had to sign a medical history form and download the Self-Check app. The form asked if we had any allergies and if we had enough of any medications we would be needing during our 10-day stay. The form also covered smoking: there were smoking and non smoking rooms. The hotel also said they’d provide nicotine patches for anyone that would need them, as you cannot leave quarantine to get more cigarettes.
We then received our room keys and paid for our stay; the cost was ₩1,200,000, which came out to $1,006.
After all of that, I was finally sent up to the room which I would call home for the next 10 days.
Whew.
Quarantine
Prior to leaving, I had watched some YouTube vlogs from others that had quarantined in Korea in hopes of getting a better idea of what I was in for. This didn’t really work, however, as the experiences shown in each video varied drastically, ranging from, “this is actually fun!” to, “I’m in my own personal hellscape.” Thankfully, the room I ended up getting by far exceeded my rather meager expectations. It was quite nice! There were two single beds, one bare and one made with a comforter and pillow, a TV, a bench, an open closet, and a shelf holding an electric kettle and safe. There was also a desk with a mini fridge and lamp facing the window.
From the window, I could see the Han River and another smaller river branching off from it. On the days that didn’t have a ton of fog, the sunrises and sunsets were quite pleasant.
The bathroom was also nice, featuring a full-length shower with a detachable head and a toilet that had a bidet. The bathroom was stocked with towels, toilet paper, hand soap, a blow drier, and shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
The room was supplied with a few basic amenities: instant coffee and green tea packets, two 2L bottles of water, a stack of paper cups, trash bags, and a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. These items could be restocked by calling the front desk. I was also given a “Guidance for Infectious Disease Stress Relief” packet, which listed symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, and depression, provided tips on handling mental health while in quarantine, and encouraged us to call the front desk in case we were having psychological difficulties. Finally, there was a Self-Monitoring Sanitary Kit which contained a thermometer, pack of masks, and hand sanitizer.
COVID Test and Daily Heath Checks
On the morning of my first full day someone came to my room to administer a COVID test, swabbing both my mouth and nose. Since I’m coming from a place with a higher COVID rate, I needed to take the test again on my third to last day.
During the 10 days of quarantine, I had to upload my temperature to the two health monitoring apps mentioned above, using the thermometer provided in the sanitary kit. I submitted my stats to the Official Isolation and Safety Protection app twice a day and to the Self-Check app once a day. Someone would also come around to the rooms with a thermometer once a day to scan everyone’s foreheads.
Trash
The room was supplied with large orange trash bags donning a biohazard logo. Each day we were to put our trash inside these bags and place them outside our room when grabbing lunch.
Meals
Everyone received 3 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All the meals were placed in bags outside our rooms and an announcement would play over the intercom telling us when we could open our door to get them. If you arrive at off hours on your first day, you will also be given a small snack bag; mine came with a package of cup yukgaejang (beef and vegetable soup) and nurungji (scorched rice).
The food was overall okay. Nothing horrible, nothing spectacular. I generally enjoyed the side dishes (banchan) that came with lunch and dinner. The rice and soups were also okay (though rice is hard to mess up). The main critique I’d give is that the meals usually arrived cold and there weren’t any microwaves in the room to reheat them.
Marinabay gave the option to switch from the default Korean meal plan to a Western, Vegetarian, or Halal one. I considered switching to the Vegetarian plan, however, I wasn’t sure if that would induce receiving more dairy products. The standard Korean meals also occasionally had fish cake, which I like, so I opted to stay with the basic plan and just avoid the other meat. This worked out okay for me as I still felt full after all my meals and there were plenty of other proteins to eat such as eggs and beans. I also received some amazing crispy fish for my last meal which made it worth it.
If you’re vegetarian and don’t want to risk food contamination, don’t want your food touching non-vegetarian items, or you can’t read Korean food labels, then you’d be better off doing the vegetarian option. If you are a strict vegan, pack food in advance.
I packed a lot of my own food in preparation as I wasn’t sure what to expect. Perhaps I over-packed, but it was nice to know that I wouldn’t go hungry. I also liked having my own snacks when jet lag still had me waking up at 1:30am hungry for breakfast. I saved the rice cups from the meals delivered and washed them out to use for later. They were especially useful for making oatmeal and for washing off vegetables that came mixed with a sauce I wasn’t too sure of.
The breakfasts were my least favorite of the meals; they usually consisted of eggs, mini sausages, bread, rice, and fruit. While the eggs and fruit were fine, the eggs were often cold, and we usually got only a few measly slices of fruit with each meal. I remember feeling overly ecstatic one day after receiving a WHOLE banana.
Since we’re on the topic of fruit, I’d like to take a moment to rant about tomatoes in South Korea. In the States, we recognize that the tomato is a fruit, yet treat it like it’s a vegetable. We put it in savory stews, on sandwiches, in pastas, etc. Meanwhile in Korea, the tomato is recognized as a fruit and is treated like one.
Exhibit A:
The breakfasts I received over the course of the 10 days almost all included a tomato in the fruit section.
This isn’t an isolated case (excuse the pun), as fruit cups sold at Korean convenience stores also commonly contain tomatoes. I don’t know how I feel about it nor do I know what you’re supposed to do with this information. I just wanted to put it out there.
This post may sound rather critical of the food, but honestly it wasn’t too bad—especially considering the number of people needing to be fed each day. There were some meals I quite enjoyed, including the bibimbap bowl, the scrambled eggs, the japchae, and (again) the banchan. The mystery of what I would be getting each day also added some fun to my rather routinely quarantine schedule.
Daily routine
I tried to keep a loose routine to my days as to not feel totally disconnected and unproductive. This included doing activities such as yoga, drawing, studying Korean, writing, photography, etc. Besides this, I did also spend a good amount of time snuggled up in bed aimlessly watching something. In this way, the days passed by rather quickly.
When planning what to do while in quarantine, I recommend making a few activities things that can be done without Wi-fi. While the Marinabay Gimpo Hotel had a stable connection, other facilities may differ. You could also download videos, TV shows, and music playlists in advance just in case.
Leaving
Halfway through my stay, I received a form to fill out regarding how I’d be exiting the facility. There were two options: pick up and shuttle. The pick-up times were either at midnight or at 6:00am. I chose this option, ordering for a taxi to pick me up at 6:00am. The shuttle came at 7:00am and 7:30 am and dropped off at Seoul Express Bus Terminal and Seoul Station. After filling out the form, I was to place it outside my door when picking up lunch.
On the day of my departure, I woke up at around 4:30am and packed up the rest of my things. My check out time was 6:00am, but I was allowed to leave my room 10 minutes before that. I headed down to the lobby where I handed in my room key and presented my passport for the final time. After that, I was happily sent out the front door where the taxi was waiting for me.
Conclusion
As a last bit of advice (and I know this will suck), I highly recommend quarantining yourself 14 days before your flight. I did and my entry into Korea went about as smoothly as possible. However, I know travelers who did test positive at Incheon and their experience was less than fun. COVID tests done at the airport can take anywhere between 6-8 hours to complete. From there, you may be taken to a facility that prohibits you from opening your luggage less it become “contaminated contents” and thrown out. If you’re asymptomatic, you may also have to share your room with other asymptotic COVID patients. So, please quarantine yourself before leaving. Or, at the least, restrict yourself from seeing anyone outside those you immediately live with.
Finally, I do understand why Korea is going through such careful measures. The 2015 MERS outbreak shook South Korea’s society and economy, leading to around 17,000 reported cases, 38 deaths, and a total loss of $3.6 billion. In response, South Korea made a series of extensive reforms aimed at preparing the country for another pandemic and the result of such reforms is being seen today, the country displaying an impressive 84% vaccination rate. The number of people being filtered through the airport each day and into quarantine is quite impressive and if this all leads to a happier, safer, experience, I am happy to oblige.