South Korean government announced on Monday that it will waive visa requirements for Chinese tour groups for the first time in eight years. The waiver applies to groups of three or more traveling to South Korea by air or sea, with stays limited to 15 days, and will remain in effect through the end of June 2026.
The decision reflects the policies of newly elected President Lee Jae Myung, who has pursued a more conciliatory approach toward China compared with his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol. Analysts say the move comes ahead of South Korea hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in late October, which is expected to include a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his first to the country in 11 years.
Following the August announcement of the visa waiver, several businesses moved quickly to capitalize on the opportunity. Korean Air partnered with major Chinese online travel agency Ctrip to offer plane tickets and new tour packages, while retail giant Lotte Group joined a prominent Chinese social media platform to promote discounts on cosmetics popular with Chinese visitors.
The South Korean tourism industry is already seeing the impact. On Monday, the cruise ship Dream arrived at the Port of Incheon from Tianjin carrying roughly 2,000 passengers, who will take a five-day tour across the country. The Shilla Duty Free Shop will host a welcome ceremony and encourage passengers to visit its Seoul store.
“With China’s National Day holidays approaching in early October, this will be a positive for the industry,” said a manager at Hanatour, a major South Korean travel agency. “We’ll introduce tour packages that are popular with Chinese tourists.”
South Korea last offered a visa-free travel exemption in 2017, ahead of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The latest waiver underscores a broader effort by President Lee to boost tourism and economic ties with China, signaling a significant shift from the previous administration’s harder stance.
