South Korea will temporarily allow visa-free entry for tourist groups from China starting Sept. 29 through June 2026, the government said on Wednesday, as a measure to bolster a recovery in inbound tourism ahead of major holidays in the mainland and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
The visa waiver, which takes effect days ahead of China’s National Day holidays on Oct. 1-7, is expected to help the domestic tourism and retail industries enjoy a boom, the South Korean government sources said.
“As the inbound tourism industry is recovering rapidly, the visa-free policy is predicted to further boost demand, revitalizing regional economies and stimulating domestic consumption,” a government official said.
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing welcomed the decision. Beijing resumed its visa-free policy for South Koreans in November last year.
A growing number of Chinese tourists to South Korea has already boosted the earnings of the country’s foreigners-only casinos.
The number of travelers from the mainland rose 13.9% to 2.5 million in the first half from a year earlier, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.
Despite the rise, Chinese arrivals have yet to recover to 2016’s peak of 8 million.
Following Seoul’s decision to deploy the THAAD missile-defense system and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Chinese visitors fell to 4.6 million last year.
MEASURES AHEAD OF APEC SUMMIT
South Korea also unveiled measures to reform regulations for tourism ahead of the APEC summit from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1.
The country will host a meeting of leaders from 21 countries in the southeastern city of Gyeongju where Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump might hold separate talks.
The government plans to expand the eligibility for fast-track immigration lanes for foreigners entering the country to attend international conferences. The requirement will be relaxed from events with over 500 participants to those with 300 or more.
The government is set to discuss more measures for inbound tourism ahead of the summit.
“The 2025 APEC Summit will be a very important opportunity to boost tourism,” said Prime Minister Kim Min-seok.
In addition, the government plans to officially introduce a simplified entry inspection system for foreign visitors, which is currently pilot tested, starting from next year.
To boost medical tourism, the country will ease the application requirements for becoming a certified institution to attract foreign patients.
By Sungsu Bae
baebae@hankyung.com
Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.
