Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Group Tourists from the 29th of This Month... Is There a Solution for Illegal Stay?

[Financial News] Chinese group tourists of three or more people can travel throughout the Republic of Korea without a visa for up to 15 days starting from the 29th.
According to the 'Temporary Visa Waiver Implementation Plan for Chinese Group Tourists' jointly announced by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Office for Government Policy Coordination on the 7th, Chinese group tourists of three or more people recruited by designated travel agencies can travel domestically without a visa within a 15-day range until June 30th next year. In principle, they must enter and exit on the same flight or ship.
The travel agencies recruiting Chinese group tourists are selected from domestic travel agencies designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Chinese local travel agencies designated by the Korean consulate in China.
To minimize illegal stays, domestic designated travel agencies must register the tourist list on the Hi Korea website 24 hours before entry (36 hours if using a ship).
The Ministry of Justice's immigration office checks if there are any high-risk individuals, such as those subject to entry restrictions or with a history of illegal stay, on the tourist list and informs the travel agency of the results 12 hours before entry (24 hours for ships).
If identified as high-risk, they are excluded from the visa waiver and must obtain a visa separately from the overseas consulate to enter.
If unauthorized departure occurs, administrative sanctions are also strengthened. If the unauthorized departure rate of tourists entering with a visa waiver exceeds an average of 2% per quarter, the designation of the designated travel agency is canceled. If tourists leave intentionally or in collusion, the designation is canceled immediately.
If a domestic designated travel agency receives administrative sanctions due to unauthorized departure, it will be reflected in the evaluation for new or renewal designation, and if the designation is canceled, it cannot be designated as a designated travel agency for the next two years.
If an overseas designated travel agency that acts as a visa application agent receives administrative sanctions, the agency's ability to handle both group and general visa applications is suspended for the same period.
Monitoring and education on efforts to prevent low-cost tourism, forced shopping, and unauthorized departure will also be conducted.
The Ministry of Justice and related ministries will guide travel agencies on related procedures from the 8th to the 19th, and from the 15th, the Ministry of Justice's immigration office will proceed with the registration and designation procedures for designated travel agencies.
In preparation for the expected surge in tourists ahead of the Chinese National Day holiday in October, tourist lists are to be registered starting from the 22nd.
Jeju Island allows visa-free individual and group tourism for 30 days under the Jeju Special Act, as before. China has allowed visa-free entry for Korean nationals since November last year.




kyu0705@fnnews.com Kim Dong-kyu Reporter