South Korea begins visa-free entry for Chinese tourist groups, scheme to run until June 2026
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As part of the pilot programme, groups of three or more tourists from China will be able to stay without a visa for 15 days.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SEOUL – South Korea began offering visa-free entry for Chinese tourist groups on Sept 29, a measure it hopes will boost the economy and help improve ties with its Asian neighbour.
As part of the pilot programme, which is scheduled to run until June 30, 2026, groups of three or more tourists from China will be able to stay without a visa for 15 days.
The action comes ahead of China’s National Day holidays from Oct 1 to 8, as well as a run of South Korean holidays around the same time.
South Korean companies are seeking to benefit from the increased demand. Retailer The Shilla Duty Free has organised a Chinese cruise tour, and food delivery app Baedal Minjok is introducing payment options in Alipay and WeChat Pay.
The programme, announced in March, follows China’s decision in November 2024 to offer visa exemptions to South Koreans for up to 30 days.
The last time South Korea offered the Chinese similar visa-free entry was from December 2017 to March 2018, coinciding with the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
The new administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is hoping to further improve ties with Beijing during an expected visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping in late October to an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea. REUTERS
