SOUTH Korea will relax visa regulations for Chinese tourists from August 1 to attract more arrivals from China during the summer vacation season.
“Such plans are expected to boost tourism in (South) Korea when we are hosting international events such as the Yeosu Expo,” Bahk Jae-wan, the minister of strategy and finance was quoted by The Korea Herald as saying.
Travellers eligible for multiple-entry visas will be expanded to include medical tourists, as well as executives of foreign investment firms and state-owned corporations in China.
The maximum length of stay for multiple-entry visas will be increased to five years, up from the current one year, while the application process will be simplified for those who have previously been issued South Korean visas.
From October, visa-free entry will also be granted to all foreign tourists visiting the country for less than 12 hours or those transiting their flights to Jeju Island from Seoul’s Incheon International Airport.
