Visa-free entry, short flights fuel surge in weekend trips to China among South Koreans
Kim Ji-soo wrapped up a visit to the coastal city of Qingdao in northern China just last weekend, but she is already contemplating where she will go on her next visit. “It seemed affordable, nearby and I wanted to visit a new city,” said the 57-year-old Seoul resident, who had been to Beijing before. “I enjoyed the food and the vast space the most,” Kim said, adding that the city’s bustling…
The number of weekend trips to China by South Koreans has surged, fueled by visa-free entry and short flights. Kim Ji-soo, a 57-year-old Seoul resident, recently returned from a trip to Qingdao and is already planning her next visit. She found China affordable, accessible, and appealing due to the city's lively atmosphere and delicious food.
South Korea has become China's largest source of foreign tourists, with 1.7 million South Koreans visiting the country in the first half of this year, a 16% increase from the same period last year, according to South Korea's Ministry of Justice. This rise can be attributed to short trips, which require only a two-hour flight and do not require a visa.
Since November 2024, Beijing has permitted visa-free visits of up to 30 days for South Korean tourists. Short-haul trips accounted for 82% of South Koreans' outbound journeys between July 18 and August 8, with China being the top destination at 27.4%. The visa-free policy has increased satisfaction, return intentions, and recommendation rates among Korean tourists, with Shanghai, Beijing, Zhangjiajie, and Qingdao among the most popular destinations.
However, while short-term travel has increased, long-term work or residency trips to China have declined, as seen in Shanghai, a financial center traditionally welcoming Korean expatriates. South Korea has surpassed Japan as China's leading source of foreign tourists, with arrivals from South Korea rising 37% to 3.16 million in 2022, still below pre-pandemic levels.
In May, South Korea and China agreed to expand air traffic by 70 flights a week, a first expansion since 2019.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written; read the original for the full account.