China retaliates against South Korea. As Seoul imposed restrictions on Chinese travelers – following Beijing’s lifting of its zero-Covid policy – the Chinese embassy in Seoul on Tuesday (January 10) suspended issuing short-stay visas to South Koreans.
“Embassies and consulates in Korea will suspend issuing short-stay visas to Korean citizens,” the embassy said on its official WeChat account, adding that these measures “will be adjusted depending on Seoul’s lifting of travel restrictions.” against China”.
Beijing does not currently issue tourist visas and requires a negative Covid test for all travelers regardless of their origin. In December, Seoul imposed a series of health restrictions on travelers from mainland China, including visas and flights, as well as a requirement to provide drug tests, citing a rise in Covid-19 cases in China.
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“Political maneuvers” and “discriminatory practices”
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin told his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on Monday (January 9) that these restrictions were imposed on a “scientific basis”. In a separate statement, the ministry said Seoul had “previously communicated with China about the measures” and that the information had been “transparently shared with the international community.”
For its part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry found it “regrettable” that “some countries still insist on discriminatory entry restrictions towards China”. Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the country is “firm” against such restrictions and has “taken mutual measures.” However, he did not comment specifically on the decision to suspend the issuance of visas for South Koreans.
“We again urge affected countries to take scientific and reasonable action based on facts. These measures should not be used for political maneuvering and there should be no discriminatory practices,” the Chinese foreign minister said.
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The Chinese make up just 7.5% of foreign tourists to South Korea
China has gradually ended its very restrictive zero-Covid health policy since early December and lifted quarantine measures on international travelers since January 8. This easing, which has been accompanied by a strong wave of Covid-19 infections in China, has raised the concern of the international community. Many countries then introduced a test requirement for travelers from China.
Seoul has reduced the number of flights out of the country, which are now restricted to Incheon International Airport, located about fifty kilometers west of Seoul.
Travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau must now present a negative Covid-19 test before boarding a flight to South Korea. Chinese visitors will also be tested on arrival and will have to quarantine for a week if they test positive, authorities said. Only government officials, diplomats and certain essential humanitarian and business trips are eligible for short-stay visas in South Korea until the end of January.
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According to official figures, 2,224 Chinese nationals on short-stay visas have landed in South Korea since Jan. 2, and 17.5 percent of them tested positive upon arrival. One of the Chinese nationals, who had SARS-CoV-2 when he arrived in Seoul, refused to submit to quarantine and fled, sparking a two-day manhunt that made headlines in South Korean newspapers. The person, whose identity was not released but was described as a tourist on medical grounds, was eventually located and will be questioned this week, local media reported.
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The number of Chinese tourists in South Korea fell from 6.02 million in 2019 to 200,000 from January to November 2022, accounting for just 7.5% of foreign tourists, the ministry told Agence France-Presse. In 2019 and 2020, tourists from China accounted for the largest proportion of foreign tourists visiting South Korea, at 34.4 percent and 27.2 percent, respectively, according to official data from Seoul.