According to foreign media reports, a South Korean official stated last week that starting from the third quarter of this year, South Korea will provide visa exemptions for group travelers. The South Korean government is set to announce the details of the plan next month and aims to implement it in the third quarter of this year. The local tourism industry has also expressed support for this initiative.
Reports from South Korean media indicate that the measure will be temporary and primarily aimed at tour groups. This move is largely seen as a gesture of reciprocity, given that mainland China decided last November to allow passport holders from South Korea and eight other countries to enter visa-free until December 31 of this year. It was also reported that South Korea began studying the implementation of a temporary visa exemption for Chinese tour groups last December, and this measure has now been officially confirmed.
A South Korean Foreign Ministry official noted that both countries share a common understanding of the importance of expanding people-to-people exchanges and are considering corresponding measures for the visa exemption policy towards China. Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing expressed on social media that he believed these convenient entry measures would facilitate more frequent exchanges between the two countries and promote closer ties. Additionally, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded last Friday (21st) to South Korea’s plan for a visa exemption for Chinese tour groups in the third quarter, stating that as neighbors, strengthening cultural exchanges aligned with the interests of both parties.
