South Korea opens visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists

Beginning today, South Korea is granting visa-free entry to Chinese groups of three or more until June 30 next year, aiming to stimulate both tourism and domestic retail.

The visa-free measure coincides with China’s National Day holiday (Oct. 1–7) and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first South Korea visit in 11 years for the APEC summit, which is expected to drive tourism demand.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of Chinese tourists in South Korea reached 8.07 million in 2016 but plunged to roughly 1.07 million annually from 2020 to 2022 due to the THAAD dispute and the COVID-19 pandemic. Numbers recovered modestly last year, reaching 4.6 million.

The visa-free policy is expected to draw over 1 million additional Chinese tourists. Chinese arrivals have shown steady growth this year, rising from 364,460 in January to 602,147 by July.

Tourism and retail sectors are gearing up for the influx of Chinese visitors. The shift from large group tours to individual and small-group travel has led businesses to adopt targeted strategies.

To accommodate Chinese tourists, major duty-free stores and department stores have introduced Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay, as well as multilingual support and AI-powered translation desks. On the first day of the visa-free program, Shilla Duty Free hosted passengers from the 77,000-ton cruise ship Dream in Seoul, coordinating with Chinese travel agencies and offices to attract group visitors.

CU, operated by BGF Retail, is offering a VAT cashback promotion for foreign tourists in partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization, letting shoppers pay with immediate VAT deductions. GS25 and 7-Eleven are providing discounts and coupons for customers using WeChat Pay.

The government and local authorities are advancing the development of K-Food and K-Culture experiences. In partnership with Chinese travel agencies, the Korea Tourism Organization is creating tourism packages that integrate Hallyu content, wellness, and K-Food tours. Theme courses showcasing K-pop, dramas, and filming locations are also being rolled out.

The city of Incheon is boosting Chinese tourism via the Weihai–Incheon ferry route and related tour programs. South Jeolla Province is integrating the Namdo Food Culture Festival with K-pop performances, while North Gyeongsang Province is preparing content connected to the APEC summit.

A retail industry representative said the government and businesses intend to expand tailored services and benefits to make the most of the first major Chinese tourist wave since the COVID-19 pandemic.


남혜정 기자 namduck2@donga.com