Photo: VCG

South Korea will implement a temporary visa-free policy for Chinese group tourists starting from September 29, and the policy will remain in effect until June next year, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Wednesday.

Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing said in a post on X that the visa-free policy for Chinese group tourists, set to take effect at the end of September, represents good news for Chinese travelers visiting South Korea. 

China has already unilaterally implemented a visa-free policy for South Korea since last November, and data indicate that people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have grown rapidly in the wake of this measure, Dai said.

"As close neighbors, frequent interactions between the two peoples help enhance mutual understanding and deepen friendship," Dai said, expressing hope that governments and all sectors of both countries will work together to continue creating a favorable atmosphere and conditions for strengthening personnel exchanges and fostering people-to-people bonds between China and South Korea.

The decision was made at a meeting of the Tourism Industry Boosting Policy Working Group chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok at the central government office in Seoul, according to the Yonhap News Agency. 

The South Korean government said that with the rapid recovery of South Korea's tourism market, this move is expected to boost potential demand for tourism to South Korea, help revitalize the local economy and stimulate domestic demand, Yonhap reported. 

In November 2024, China extended its visa-free policy to allow ordinary passport holders from 38 countries, including South Korea, to visit China for a maximum of 30 days without applying for a visa, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

In response to this measure, the South Korean government has decided to introduce a visa-free policy for Chinese group tourists and has already carried out consultations among relevant departments, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

Following South Korea’s reported policy, a travel index on Chinese travel platform Qunar.com showed a 68 percent surge in flight search volume for Seoul, South Korea, compared to the previous hour, ranking it second among popular international flight destinations, the platform told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Based on international flight and hotel booking volumes for this summer, South Korea has consistently been among the top three most popular destinations for Chinese travelers. With the support of the group visa-free policy, South Korea's popularity is expected to rise steadily in the second half of the year, the platform said.

Global Times