South Korea Set to Grant Chinese Tourists Visa-Free Entry

(MENAFN) South Korea revealed on Wednesday that it will allow Chinese tourists visa-free entry starting next month, a move aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries.

The Prime Minister’s office, led by Kim Min-seok, shared the decision during a task force meeting focused on tourism promotion held at the government complex in Seoul, as reported by media.

The temporary visa exemption will apply to Chinese group tourists from September 29 through the end of June next year, according to the official announcement.

The government stated, “With Korea’s inbound tourism market recovering rapidly, the new visa waiver policy is expected to generate additional demand from Chinese tourists and contribute to revitalizing regional economies and boosting domestic demand.”

In a related development, China extended its own visa-free period for South Korean nationals last November from 15 days to 30 days.

Seoul’s decision comes in the wake of recent comments by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who described China as “somewhat problematic” for neighboring countries.

Following this, the South Korean Presidency clarified the remarks, emphasizing, "We're seeking to develop our bilateral relations with China based on the staunch South Korea-US alliance."

In an effort to ease tensions, senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi spoke with Cho ahead of his planned trip to Washington last week, urging both nations to maintain “good neighborliness.”

Wang emphasized that China and South Korea should strive to be “genuine strategic cooperative partners” dedicated to strengthening bilateral relations.

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