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Community policy

South Korea: Extenuating circumstances for COVID-19

Updated September 14, 2022

This article explains the coverage and requirements for COVID-19 related cancellations under our Extenuating Circumstances Policy for reservations made on or after November 1, 2022 by South Korean guests for stays and experiences in South Korea. If a reservation has already begun (the check-in time has passed), this extenuating circumstance does not apply.

For domestic reservations in South Korea made after March 14, 2020 and before November 1, 2022, the Host’s cancellation policy will apply as usual and COVID-19 related circumstances will not be covered, except where the guest or Host is currently sick with COVID-19. In order to cancel under the Policy, you may be required to provide supporting documentation for your extenuating circumstance. For all reservations made on or before March 14, 2020 (other than domestic reservations in South Korea), refer to our global COVID-19 extenuating circumstances article for coverage details.

What reservations are covered

The Policy applies to reservations made by South Korean guests for stays and experiences in South Korea made on or after November 1, 2022. It allows for the cancellation of an upcoming reservation with a check-in date within 30 days under the following circumstances:

  • After the date the reservation was made, COVID-19 was designated as a Class 1 infectious disease under the South Korea Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, and one or more of the following is true:
    • Your reservation is impacted by an official government travel advisory, special travel warning or travel restriction such as social distancing rules related to COVID-19 that prevents you from traveling from your departure place or to the destination
    • Access to the stay or experience is not possible due to an official government administrative order related to COVID-19 (ex: facility closure or operation suspension order)
    • There is a transportation disruption related to COVID-19 that prevents access to the stay or experience
  • The guest or Host had official quarantine duty imposed due to being confirmed positive with COVID-19 which prevents them from carrying out the reservation

The Policy does not apply to reservations that have been canceled:

  • Before the date of applicable government announcements
  • Based on a mutual agreement between a Host and guest

Required documentation

If your reservation is eligible, please contact us to cancel it before the check-in date. You’ll be asked to provide documentation that reflects the reason you can’t travel. We’ll review the documentation and get back to you. Documentation that may be required includes:

  • If the area you live in or place of departure is marked as a special disaster area or declared a state of disaster by authorities, please provide the relevant official area risk level assessment announcement along with proof of residence and/or proof of your location (such as a screenshot of your map app)
  • Official travel restrictions or other COVID-19 related requirements by the government
  • Proof of that your flight or ground transportation is canceled by the transportation provider due to COVID-19 or relevant public policies
  • Proof of the official requirement to quarantine (e.g., correspondence from authorities)

How it works

If you are a South Korean guest and believe this Policy applies to your reservation, please contact us to cancel your reservation. In all cases, you should be prepared to provide documentation that shows how the event impacted you or your reservation before your check-in date. If your reservation is not covered under our Extenuating Circumstances Policy, the Host’s cancellation policy will apply as usual. If you’re a Host, you’ll find information in your hosting dashboard.

We encourage you to contact your Host or guest to discuss cancellations and refunds.

More information

We’ve curated articles in the Resource Center to help our community during this time. You can find the latest information on our COVID-19 response, from policy updates to resources for Hosts and guests.

You can also read the Extenuating Circumstances Policy to learn about the available coverage for circumstances unrelated to COVID-19.

We ask that all community members be mindful of respect, inclusion, and our Nondiscrimination Policy when interacting with other community members.

We will continue to review the application of this Policy. Please monitor this page for updates and new information.

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