March 21, 2025
SEOUL – The South Korean government announced a plan Thursday to allow exemption of travel visas for group tourists from China, in a temporary policy slated for the third quarter of this year to bring more tourists to South Korea.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will reveal the specific plans for the visa exemption policy sometime in April after assessing public opinion.
The ministry also hopes to boost foreign tourism centers by creating theme tourist packages — such as in sports, culinary, aesthetics and culture — targeting younger tourists from major Chinese cities. According to a 2023 analysis by the Bank of Korea, an additional increase of 1 million Chinse tourists is expected boost South Korea’s economic growth by 0.08 percent.
The announcement comes just a day after the Ministry of Justice denied the recent online rumor that the government a large-scale visa-free entry of Chinese nationals was expected in April. The rumor had falsely claimed this based on an inaccurate interpretation of the government’s recently revised quota for E-7-4 visas, issued for skilled foreign workers and not related to visa-free travel.