APEC Summit: South Korea Offers Chinese Tourist Groups Temporary Visa-Free Entry
South Korea will let Chinese tourist groups enter without a visa from September 2025 to June 2026. This is to encourage more tourists to visit.
To boost its tourism industry and improve relations with China, South Korea has said that Chinese tourist groups will be able to enter visa-free from September 29, 2025, to June 20, 2026. The move, which was announced by the government on Wednesday, is part of a larger plan to bring in more foreign visitors before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Gyeongju from October 31 to November 1.
China made this choice after deciding in November 2024 to let South Koreans and other foreign travelers travel without a visa. South Korea responded by making its own offer of visa-free travel in March 2025. This offer is now official and will go into effect during China’s national holiday season in early October.
South Korea’s tourism office says that the timing of the plan is smart. People are planning to travel more during the Chinese holidays and the upcoming APEC meeting, where Presidents Xi Jinping and Trump may meet for bilateral talks. Officials hope that this will boost the economy at home and bring in more spending from other countries.
People also see the visa waiver as a sign of goodwill, since South Korea’s new liberal president, Lee Jae Myung, wants to improve relations with China. His government is trying to change the tone of relations with Beijing.
As the number of foreign tourists starts to rise again after years of drops due to the pandemic, South Korea is getting ready to be competitive again in the regional tourism market. Authorities say they will talk about more incentives and support measures to keep the momentum going after the APEC meeting.
