It applies for those visiting for important business, serving public interest, academic or humanitarian purposes, or seeing immediate family, the Korea Herald reported.

Travelers have to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before flying into South Korea with one of the vaccines approved by the World Health Organization: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.

They also need to furnish a negative Covid-19 PCR test result obtained within 72 hours of departure.

A Foreign Ministry official said the new exemptions have been introduced for the benefit of Korean citizens who have been unable to see their families due to the prolonged pandemic, and is aided by the growing vaccination rate.

The U.K. government is considering lifting the self-quarantine requirement for double-jabbed visitors from countries on the amber list, including Vietnam.

"We will work with the travel industry towards removing the need for fully vaccinated arrivals to isolate on return from an amber country and the transport secretary will provide a further update later this week," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

He is due to announce the lifting of restrictions from July 19.

The amber list requires self-isolation at home for 10 days upon entry.

Vietnam's containment of Covid was a worldwide success story until late April when a fourth wave caused by the Delta variant first found in India began. It has recorded 18,838 cases so far.

Nguyen Quy