Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Urges the Public to Follow Infectious Disease Prevention Guidelines When Traveling Abroad This Summer

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that, with the summer vacation and school holidays underway, citizens planning international travel should be aware of the respiratory and mosquito-borne infectious diseases currently spreading in certain countries. The city emphasizes the importance of thorough pre-travel precautions and strict adherence to personal hygiene guidelines.

According to Korea's tourism statistics, the number of Korean international travelers has steadily increased since the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022.
※ (2022) 6.55 million → (2023) 22.72 million → (2024) 28.69 million → (Jan–May 2025) 12.34 million

This summer (2025), major travel destinations include countries in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines, as well as neighboring East Asian nations like Mongolia, China, and Japan. Travelers visiting these areas should exercise particular caution against various infectious diseases.

Countries including Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam are currently experiencing outbreaks of measles—a highly contagious respiratory disease.

• ●While traveling, individuals should strictly follow personal hygiene practices such as frequent handwashing and proper cough etiquette to prevent infection.

• ●If symptoms like fever and rash, which may indicate measles, appear within three weeks after travel, one should minimize contact with others, wear a mask, visit a nearby medical facility, and inform healthcare providers of their recent travel history.

In addition, certain countries are seeing outbreaks of first-class infectious diseases such as avian influenza (AI), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and plague.

• ●The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has designated 20 countries as high-risk quarantine management regions for Q3 2025. Travelers who stay in or transit through these countries must complete and submit a Q-CODE or Health Declaration Form.

Q3 2025 High-Risk Quarantine Management Countries (20 Nations):

• ●Avian Influenza (AI): United States (5 states including Minnesota), China (7 provinces including Guangdong), Vietnam (19 regions including Phu Quoc and Ho Chi Minh City), Bangladesh, Cambodia

• ●MERS: Lebanon, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait

• ●Plague: Madagascar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, China (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region)
  ※ Source: KDCA website (www.kdca.go.kr), Q3 2025 High-Risk Quarantine Management Regions (valid 2025.07.01 – 09.30)

• ●Currently, the National Quarantine Station at Gimhae International Airport offers free testing for three respiratory infectious diseases (avian influenza, COVID-19, and seasonal influenza) to arriving international travelers who request it. Travelers exhibiting symptoms are encouraged to utilize this service.

Recently, due to global climate change, mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria have been rapidly spreading. Dengue fever is particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia.

• ●Dengue fever is transmitted through mosquito bites (primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) infected with the dengue virus, and symptoms include fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches.

• ●It is widely distributed in countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. As there is currently no specific treatment, the best prevention is avoiding mosquito bites by wearing bright, long clothing and staying away from areas with heavy vegetation or forests.

• ●Malaria is transmitted by bites from Anopheles mosquitoes infected with the malaria parasite and is prevalent in sub-Saharan African countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Symptoms include headache, loss of appetite, chills, and fever.

• ●In Korea, 49 cities, counties, and districts in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon Provinces are designated as risk areas, and ongoing surveillance is in place.

Information about various overseas infectious diseases can be found on the websites “Overseas Infectious Diseases NOW” (www.해외감염병NOW.kr) and “Travel Health Official” (www.travelhealth.kr).

Cho Kyu-yul, Director General of the Citizens’ Health Bureau, stated, “As international travel increases during the summer holidays, so does the risk of exposure to infectious diseases currently spreading in certain countries.” He urged, “We ask all citizens to thoroughly follow disease prevention guidelines from pre-departure to after their return and enjoy a healthy, safe summer vacation with their families.”