[Newsmaker] US lowers travel advisory for S. Korea to lowest Level 1

The United States on Tuesday lowered its travel advisory for South Korea to the lowest level, which advises people visiting the Asian country to exercise normal precaution.

The State Department said the latest update reflected a low level of COVID-19 infections in South Korea.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 1 Travel Health Notice for South Korea due to COVID-19, indicating a low level of COVID-19 in the country," it said.

The US had maintained a Level 2 travel advisory for South Korea since Nov. 23, which advises US travelers to exercise increased caution.

The State Department or the CDC did not provide reasons for the downward revision.

South Korea has reported a total of 145,091 infection cases as of Tuesday (Seoul time), with 1,975 deaths.

So far 16.5 percent of the country's 52 million population have received at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccines, while some 2.75 million people in South Korea have been fully vaccinated, according to earlier reports. (Yonhap)