Overview

• The government will waive visas for Chinese group tourists from Sept. 29, 2025, through June 30, 2026, allowing entry at all Korean ports for the first time.
• The measure reciprocates Beijing’s visa waiver for South Koreans enacted in November 2024 and underscores diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.
• China has been the largest source of visitors this year, with 2.53 million arrivals among 8.83 million overseas tourists in the first half of 2025 and a target of 5.36 million Chinese tourists by year-end.
• Analyses by the Bank of Korea and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute estimate that an additional 1 million Chinese group tourists could lift GDP by up to 0.08 percentage point, building on a 0.21 point boost from resumed group tours in 2023.
• Complementary reforms include lowering the fast-track immigration threshold for international conference attendees from 500 to 300 participants and expanding electronic visa eligibility for medical tourism agencies with at least 500 foreign patient referrals.