"Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Group Tourists Until June Next Year"... Aiming for 30 Million Tourists by Easing Regulations

The government is positioning the tourism industry as the 'core engine' for revitalizing the people's livelihood and regional economy, and will extend the visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists until June next year. The requirements for 'simplified entry screening (fast-track)' for foreign participants in international conferences (MICE) will also be significantly eased. The government is actively preparing regulatory rationalization and systematic promotion strategies to attract global tourism demand on the occasion of the 2025 APEC Summit. The government's move to ease regulations such as expanding visa-free entry between Korea and China is seen as a strategic choice to overcome stagnant domestic demand by attracting foreign tourists and stimulating consumption.

 Prime Minister Kim Min-seok announced at the 'Tourism Activation Mini Policy Task Force (TF)' meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the 6th that core regulatory rationalization measures to expand the attraction of foreign tourists will be confirmed and implemented. The meeting was attended by relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the National Assembly and industry experts.
 This task was selected as a rapid promotion task by the Presidential Commission on National Planning's Regulatory Rationalization TF and proposed to the government. It has been a matter of consultation among the TF, the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 The government will allow visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists from September 29 this year to June 30 next year.
 Previously, China has been implementing a unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from Korea and other countries from November last year to December 31 this year, and included Korea as a target country for the first time at the end of 2023. This was interpreted as a signal of the willingness to improve bilateral relations. The Korean government also confirmed the implementation of a temporary visa-free policy before China's National Day (October 1-7).
 The National Planning Commission also held a 'Regulatory Rationalization TF' meeting this morning and agreed on the need to ease the inconvenience of foreign tourists entering Korea and improve unreasonable regulations, aiming for an era of 30 million visiting tourists. After a consultation with relevant ministries and experts, the 'Three Major Tasks for Tourism Regulation Rationalization' were confirmed as rapid promotion tasks, and visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists recruited by dedicated travel agencies was proposed to the government.



 The government has also decided to formalize the easing of 'simplified entry screening (fast-track)' requirements for foreign participants in international conferences proposed by the National Planning Commission.
 The criteria for foreign participants eligible for preferential screening will be eased from the existing 500 or more to 300 or more, and it will be introduced as a formal system from 2026 after the pilot operation ends.
 The application criteria for excellent medical tourism attraction institutions will also be made more realistic.
 Attraction institutions (hospitals and attraction agents) with more than 30 medical tourism visa invitation records or more than 500 foreign patient treatment records in the past year will be designated as 'excellent attraction institutions' and will receive benefits such as electronic visa applications and caregiver invitations. Especially, attraction agents who had difficulty meeting the requirements with visa records alone will now be able to apply if they have attracted more than 500 foreign patients (including visa-free countries). The related system will be implemented in August.
 The 2025 APEC Summit, which will be held in Korea this year, will also be utilized as an event for the tourism industry.
 The government plans to prepare additional system improvements and policy support measures in the tourism sector and discuss them at the 'National Tourism Strategy Meeting', a pan-governmental consultative body.
 Prime Minister Kim said, "The 2025 APEC Summit will be a very important opportunity for tourism activation," and ordered, "Quickly prepare a systematic strategy and specific plan to effectively promote the APEC event."


spring@fnnews.com Lee Bomi, Hong Yeji Reporter