Foreigners visiting some S. Korean cities like Busan must declare lodging ahead of Apec summit

SEOUL – South Korea’s Ministry of Justice said on Oct 22 that foreigners staying short-term in Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, and North and South Gyeongsang provinces will be required to declare their accommodations starting Oct 24, as the region prepares to host the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

The new measure, in effect from Oct 24 through Nov 1, applies to foreigners visiting the south-eastern region on tourist, short-term visit, short-term employment or news coverage visas.

Under the rule, travellers must present their passports or travel documents to accommodation providers, who are then required to report the guest’s nationality, date of birth and passport number to the Justice Ministry via its website or mobile application.

The ministry said the temporary policy is part of broader security measures as South Korea raises its national terror alert level by one notch from “attention” to “caution” from Oct 24.

The elevated alert will remain in place through the Apec CEO Summit and Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting, which run from Oct 28 to Nov 1 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province.

World leaders from 21 member economies are set to convene in the historic city for the annual forum.

“We expect that both foreign visitors to Korea and those in the accommodation industry may experience some inconvenience due to the implementation of this accommodation declaration system,” said Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho.

“However, as this is a necessary measure to ensure the safety of world leaders, foreign guests and our citizens during the Apec summit, we ask for the active cooperation of foreign visitors and accommodation operators.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK