A major milestone has been set in the cooperative relationship between South Korea and China. For the first time since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, South Korea has been officially included in the list of countries that China exempts from visa requirements. This decision marks a new step in promoting people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation between the two major Asian economies.
It is worth noting that this visa exemption decision is a unilateral move by China. This shows the initiative and goodwill of the Chinese government in opening up and creating favorable conditions for international tourists, especially Korean citizens. With China unilaterally exempting entry visas for citizens of 29 countries, it is clear that this country is expanding international cooperation and deeply integrating into the global economy.
China's latest decision to waive visas for South Korean citizens has created an unprecedented wave in the tourism industry of the two countries.
According to the Korea Times, from November 2024 to the end of 2025, China will exempt visitors from visas for stays of up to 15 days for purposes such as business, tourism, family visits or transit. Previously, the cost of applying for a visa to China cost Koreans at least 60,000 won (about 1,000,000 VND) and usually took about a week, even for cheap, single-use group visas.
China’s new visa-free policy is expected to create a whole new wave of tourism, especially attracting young Koreans aged between 20 and 40. Unlike previous generations, these young people tend to travel independently, explore new places and experience unique cultures. Not having to worry about visa procedures will help them be more proactive in planning their trips.
In the past, the Chinese tourism market in Korea focused mainly on older customers, from 50 to 70 years old. These people often chose group tours, with pre-arranged itineraries and the support of tour guides. However, for the younger generation, traditional tours are no longer attractive. They want more free space to explore and experience.
Travel agencies in South Korea are predicting a boom in the number of tourists flocking to the country of a billion people.
The visa exemption policy will facilitate Korean travel agencies to design new tourism products that suit the needs of young people. These could be tours to explore modern cities, tours to experience unique culinary cultures, or tours combined with adventure sports activities. In addition, the rise of online booking platforms and travel applications will also make it easier for young people to search for information and book flights and hotels.
Even before the visa waiver announcement, demand for travel from South Korea to China had been on the rise recently, with some reports saying that group travel to China increased 112% in the third quarter compared to the same period last year and 19% compared to the previous quarter.
According to an analysis of data from the Korea Tourism Organization and the National Bureau of Statistics of China, about 4.35 million South Koreans visited China in 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak. Last year, that number dropped to 1.29 million, according to statistics from the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
