We would like to update our Japan P&I News No.1095 dated 16 October 2020 that the KDCA (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency) has announced the relaxation of the regulation on 20 October 2020 as follows;

1. Vessels who have been on-signors and/or shore leave at 7 high risk countries (Russia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines and Uzbekistan) will be exempted from submission of PCR negative certificate when any of the following conditions exist.
   
   1. After departure from 7 high risk countries, 28 or more days have passed and the vessel have called at two or more ports which should not be in 7 high risk countries before Korean ports.
   2. The vessel’s calling at a Korean port has been unexpectedly arranged to avoid bad weather condition
   3. Other unexpected or inevitable callings will be judged by the head of Quarantine Station


2. Invalid PCR negative certificates due to over 48 hours of issued time prior to vessel’s departure can be properly accepted only if delay of the departure was caused by one of the following reasons and it is proven.
   
   1. Bad weather condition or natural disaster
   2. Breakdown of the vessel
   3. Other reasons caused by unavoidable circumstances will be judged by the head of Quarantine Station


3. In case of non-submission or invalid submission of the certificate, only crews who didn’t submit proper certificate instead of all crews onboard are subject to PCR test.

For more information, please see the attached notice issued by our local correspondents in Korea, Eastern Shipping Co., Ltd.