South Korea Names 42 Countries Eligible for Smart Entry Gates, No African Nation Included

• South Korea published a full list of 42 countries whose citizens can use automated Smart Entry Gates at its borders
• The list is dominated by European nations, with select Asian territories, Canada, Australia and New Zealand also qualifying
• No African country appears on the list, meaning travellers from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa must use standard manual border checks

South Korea has released a complete list of 42 countries whose citizens are eligible to use its Smart Entry Gate system, with no African nation appearing anywhere on the roster.

The South Korean government published the qualifying nations on its official website.

A Smart Entry Gate is an automated border access point that uses biometrics and digital technology to verify a traveller's identity, eliminating the need for manual document checks at entry points.

The full list of eligible nations includes:

1. Germany
2. Taiwan
3. Hong Kong
4. Macao
5. Japan
6. France
7. Singapore
8. Hungary
9. United Arab Emirates
10. Italy
11. Mexico
12. The Netherlands
13. Czech Republic
14. Portugal
15. United Kingdom
16. Australia
17. Finland
18. New Zealand
19. Greece
20. Malta
21. Slovenia
22. Poland
23. Denmark
24. Belgium
25. Ireland
26. Norway
27. Latvia
28. Bulgaria
29. Estonia
30. Liechtenstein
31. Romania
32. Sweden
33. Austria
34. Switzerland
35. Luxembourg
36. Spain
37. Croatia
38. Iceland
39. Lithuania
40. Slovakia
41. Cyprus
42. Canada

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European nations account for the vast majority of spots, with 33 of the 42 qualifying countries located on the continent.

A number of Asian territories, alongside Canada, Australia and New Zealand, make up the remainder.

What the Exclusion Means for African Travellers

The absence of any African country from the list has direct consequences for travellers from across the continent.

Citizens of Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and every other African nation will not be permitted to use the automated gate system and must instead undergo standard manual border processing when entering South Korea.

The list reflects a pattern seen across several international automated border programmes, where qualifying countries tend to be drawn from Europe, North America and parts of Asia, with African nations consistently left out.

Source: YEN.com.gh