South Korea Introduces Visa Exemption for Chinese Tourists

The South Korean government has created a visa exemption for Chinese tourists in a bid to increase tourism and improve relations with the Chinese. The visa exemption matches a policy by the Chinese government that allows South Koreans to visit China without a visa – a program that expires on 31 December 2025.

A South Korean official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “There was a consensus between the two countries to expand human exchanges, and accordingly, we also considered measures corresponding to China’s visa waiver measures.”

It is the first time both China and South Korea have extended bilateral visa exemption programs for tourists and is viewed as a signal of increased friendship between the nations.

The ambassador from China to Korea echoed the South Korean statement on a post on the social media platform X; “I believe that as the two countries implement convenient entry and exit measures, exchanges between the people of the two countries will become more active and closer.”

Both China and South Korea have been seeking to improve diplomatic relations and increase tourism to further economic development and unity in the South Asia region.