South Korea will discontinue its mandatory AIDS testing of foreigners who are hired locally and plan to stay in the country for more than 91 days, the government said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said the new rules, set to go into effect around Dec. 30, will cover foreign workers engaged in the country's
entertainment, sports and entertainment industries.
The revisions also cover people who have arrived in the country due to emergency situations like shipwrecks and other unexpected developments.
"The new enforcement ordinance governing the current AIDS screening process has been forwarded to the Ministry of Government Legislation for
final approval," the ministry said.
The new rules are in line with recommendations by the United Nations World Health Organization and the need to protect the privacy of visitors,
and reflect globally accepted standards that usually do not compel people to get medical checkups for the health condition, it said.