South Korea has decided to prolong the waiver on visa processing fees for group tourists from six nations, including China, as announced by Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol. The exemption for C-3-2 visas, which was initially due to end, will now be extended until the end of June next year. The countries benefiting from this extension are China, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Cambodia.
This move aims to sustain the positive trend in inbound tourism, according to Koo. Currently, the processing fees for C-3-2 visas stand at 18,000 won (US$12.46). In other news, South Korea witnessed a significant increase in foreign visitors in November, with a 17.3 percent rise compared to the previous year, signaling a steady recovery in the tourism sector to pre-pandemic levels.
Statistics from the Korea Tourism Organization revealed that approximately 1.6 million foreign tourists visited South Korea in November, marking a notable surge from the figures recorded a year ago. China led the way with 378,000 arrivals, followed by Japan, Taiwan, the United States, and the Philippines. Notably, Chinese tourist numbers reached 75 percent of the 2019 levels, while Japanese arrivals soared by 40.4 percent.
From January to November, South Korea welcomed 17.42 million foreign tourists, reflecting a 15.4 percent increase from the same period in the previous year and surpassing the 2019 levels by 8.6 percent. Chinese visitors accounted for nearly 30 percent of the total, amounting to about 5.09 million. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism anticipates that the annual foreign visitor count will exceed 18.7 million this year, approaching the significant milestone of 20 million.
