5,000 Chinese tourists gather in S. Korea since THAAD deployment

Around 5,000 Chinese tourists who are also known as “youke” in Chinese have gathered on Thursday for a business event held at the Songdo Convensia in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. This is the biggest single Chinese tourist group visiting South Korea since a ban on the youke’s group travels to South Korea was imposed in 2016 as a Chinese retaliation to South Korea’s installation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

According to the Incheon Tourism Organization, Chinese healthy food retailer Yiyongtang (溢涌堂) came to Incheon with its executives and staff members in 40 planes to stay in the South Korean city for six days. They will attend a business event and K-pop musicians’ performances and go to Wolmi Island, China town, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Lotte World, N Seoul Tower, etc. As there weren’t enough rooms in Incheon for all of the members, only half unpacked in Incheon while others go to Siheung and Gwangmyeong in Gyeonggi Province for stay.

Yiyongtang has been sending 2,000 to 3,000 selected employees with outstanding performance for the past two years. “The ban on the distribution of South Korean entertainment, which also limits trips to South Korea, is being lifted mainly in large cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai,” said Incheon Tourism Organization CEO Min Min-hong. “We are planning to attract two to three tourist groups this year.”


Hee-Jae Park min07@donga.com