South Korea threatens retaliation over 'irrational' Japan virus quarantine

Seoul threatened to retaliate on Friday over what it called Tokyo's "irrational" plan to quarantine arrivals from South Korea over the coronavirus outbreak, turning the scientific issue into a diplomatic row.

The two countries have close economic ties and are both major US allies, democracies and market economies faced with a rising China and nuclear-armed North Korea.

But their relationship continues to be heavily affected by Japan's colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945 -- a dispute that escalated into a trade and security row last year.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday announced that foreign arrivals who have recently been in China or South Korea would be required to spend 14 days in quarantine.

The South's two biggest airlines Korean Air and Asiana on Friday announced the cancellations of most or all of their flights to Japan once the measure comes into force, and K-pop band Super Junior indefinitely postponed their upcoming shows in the country.

South Korea has reported more than 6,000 coronavirus cases -- the highest total outside China -- and around 60 countries and regions have imposed travel bans or quarantine on arrivals from the world's 12th-largest economy.

But it has taken particular issue with Japan's restrictions, with the presidential office calling the decision "irrational" and contrasting its "scientific and transparent" outbreak control campaign with Tokyo's "opaque and passive" efforts.

The National Security Council agreed to consider "necessary measures based on the principle of reciprocity", the presidential Blue House said in a statement.

Seoul summoned the ambassador to protest, with foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha telling him: "Japan's action this time was not only unfriendly but also unscientific."
Her ministry accused Tokyo of ulterior motives, saying in a statement: "We can't help but question whether Japan has other motives than containing the outbreak."