South Korea announced on Wednesday that it will grant visa-free entry to Chinese group tourists for nine months starting from late September as part of efforts to boost local tourism.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok presided over a meeting to revitalize domestic tourism and decided to exempt Chinese group tourists from visas from September 29 this year to June 30 next year. The prime minister’s office expects this visa-free policy to increase domestic demand by encouraging more visits to the Asian country, as the local tourism market recovers rapidly.
Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing said on social media Wednesday that the decision is good news for Chinese travelers visiting South Korea. China has unilaterally granted visa-free entry to South Korean citizens since November last year, and data shows that people-to-people exchanges between China and South Korea have rapidly increased since then.
“As close neighbors, frequent exchanges between the two peoples help enhance mutual understanding and deepen friendship,” Dai said.