The South Korea government is stepping up travel bubble talks with regional countries to open up quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers from as early as July.
Potential travel bubble countries and territories include Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Guam and Saipan in US's Northern Mariana Islands.
If the plan materialises, only group tours will be allowed initially with one to two weekly flights, each carrying some 200 passengers per way, according to the transport ministry.
Travellers must test for Covid-19 and produce negative results three days before departure, and test again at their arrival destination. Return to South Korea will be quarantine-free.
Vaccinated visitors arriving travel bubble partner countries to South Korea are expected to enjoy the same quarantine-free privilege regardless of their nationality, The Korea Herald reported.
South Korea has been taking progressive steps towards reopening the country as vaccination rates go up.
Incheon Airport reopened its duty-free stores at the arrivals zone last week for the first time since shutting October 2020.
Budget airline Jeju air has also resumed Incheon-Saipan flights this week.
Both Jeju Air and Korean Air have started ticket sales to Guam for August and November flights respectively — carrying fully vaccinated passengers.
Currently, a nationwide ban on social gatherings of over five people is in place from 24 May until 13 June.