South Korea is set to eliminate the ‘China (Taiwan)’ designation from its e-arrival system, following Taiwan’s adjustment of South Korea’s name in its immigration system to ‘Korea (South)’ in protest. The removal will involve fields like “last point of departure” and “next destination” from e-arrival cards, where Taiwan was previously labeled as “China (Taiwan).” However, Taiwan will continue to be listed as Taiwan in the country and region field.
The decision to remove these fields aims to streamline the system, enhance convenience for Taiwanese visitors, and synchronize the paper and electronic arrival formats. Seoul’s Ministry of Justice is overseeing the process in accordance with the necessary procedures. This move comes after Taiwan urged for a correction in its labeling on e-arrivals, reciprocating South Korea’s name change in its immigration system.
Taiwan had warned of further actions if Seoul did not respond positively by the end of the month. In response, Seoul clarified that its decision was not a direct reaction to Taiwan’s deadline but a step towards fostering practical, unofficial cooperation with Taiwan. The adjustment will be applicable to all countries, not just Taiwan, as part of South Korea’s efforts to maintain unofficial relations with Taiwan.
