South Korea officially launched on Monday its latest visa-free policy for Chinese tour groups in a further move aimed at boosting the country’s tourism sector.
First announced in March, the policy is part of a pilot program that will run until June 2026 under which groups of three or more tourists from mainland China will be able to stay in Korea without a visa for up to 15 days. Visitors to Jeju, both individual and groups, will still have access to 30 days visa free.
Korea’s new 15-day policy for tour groups comes after China announced in November 2024 its own policy for Korean tourists allowing visits of up to 15 days for business, tourism and family visits.
Local media reports claim that the Korean government expects its policy to attract around 1 million extra Chinese visitors between now and next June.
Information from the Korea Tourism Organization shows that Korea welcomed more than 1.73 million foreign tourists in July of which 602,147 or almost 35% were from China – up from around 31% a year earlier.
The Korea Times noted that many tourism-related companies are offering special deals for Chinese visitors, including integrated resort Jeju Dream Tower which is pushing restaurant and spa discounts through a promotion with WeChat Pay.
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