FX.co ★ South Korea Bets on Chinese Tourism to Lift Economy

South Korea has introduced a visa-free entry initiative specifically for Chinese tour groups, aiming to stimulate tourism and strengthen ties with Beijing. Effective from Monday, groups of three or more travelers from mainland China will be able to enjoy a visa-free stay of up to 15 days under a pilot scheme that will continue until June 2026. This initiative aligns with China’s National Day holidays occurring from October 1 to 8 and concurs with overlapping South Korean holidays, providing fertile ground for increased travel. This marks the first arrangement of its kind since the 2017-2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The administration under President Lee Jae Myung anticipates that this move will facilitate economic recovery and enhance diplomatic relations as a prelude to a potential visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping for an Asia-Pacific summit hosted by South Korea in October. Separately, Seoul and Washington are set to engage in their inaugural working group discussions on September 30 to tackle U.S. visa challenges encountered by Korean companies, subsequent to a significant raid in Georgia leading to the arrest of hundreds of South Korean workers.