South Korea eases Chinese travel visas but Southeast Asia rivals, Iran war cloud outlook

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By Yeon Woo Lee

Published April 6, 2026

Repeat short-haul visits by Chinese travellers to South Korea are expected to rise after Seoul eased multiple-entry visa rules, but analysts say the immediate impact may be limited because of growing competition from Southeast Asia and higher airfares linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran.

The South Korean embassy in Beijing announced that Chinese nationals who had previously visited South Korea would now be eligible for a five-year multiple-entry visa.

Those holding residency status in 14 major cities – including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou – could also apply for 10-year multiple-entry visas, the embassy said this week. In addition, employees of Chinese companies that have invested at least US$1 million in South Korea were also eligible for 10-year multiple-entry visas.

The measures come amid improving bilateral ties, as Beijing and Seoul continue to ease travel barriers. South Korea has granted visa waivers to Chinese tour groups of three or more people since September, while China has allowed visa-free entry for South Koreans since November 2024.

“The new measure is seen as a driving force that could significantly increase the number of frequent repeat visitors travelling for short weekend trips, K-pop, food and shopping,” said Jang Soo-cheong, a professor of hospitality and tourism management at Purdue University and director of Yanolja Research.

Despite a sharp increase in the number of Chinese travellers to South Korea – reaching about 5.48 million in 2025 – the repeat-visit rate for Chinese travellers to South Korea remained lower than for some other Asian destinations, according to data from the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, the rate of Chinese travellers revisiting South Korea stood at 54.3 per cent, lagging behind Japan’s 76.5 per cent and Thailand’s 79.2 per cent. The rate was also down from 57.9 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Analysts said it remained unclear how far the new measures would reshape travel patterns.

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Subramania Bhatt, CEO of the travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk, said South Korea could become a less attractive option than Southeast Asian destinations amid higher travel costs.

“Airlines and industry bodies are already warning that the Middle East conflict is pushing up jet-fuel costs and fares,” Bhatt said.

“Once airfares rise, Korea starts looking less competitive against Southeast Asian destinations that are also close to China but often offer cheaper on-the-ground costs and, in some cases, more generous visa terms.”

Chinese outbound demand remained strong and had increasingly shifted towards Asia, Bhatt added, noting that travellers are flexible and could readily switch between Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam or Thailand depending on which offered better value or convenience.

“The real battleground is no longer just access, but the overall traveller experience and price-value equation.”

To capitalise on the new visa policy, Jang of Purdue University said South Korea needed to upgrade its smart tourism infrastructure – including Alipay integration – expand higher-value tourism offerings such as beauty and medical services, curb overcharging and strengthen digital marketing.

In an editorial on Tuesday, Chinese state-owned media outlet Global Times wrote that “if South Korea wants to maintain and expand its market share, the key to seizing the initiative lies in showing sufficient sincerity”.

“China is not only South Korea’s largest source of tourists but also a key driver of the recovery of the tourism industry across the Asia-Pacific region.”