South Korea has officially inaugurated a visa-free entry program for more than 2,700 tourists from a Chinese cruise liner in Incheon on Monday, September 29, 2025.
This marked the launch of a new scheme designed to revive its tourism industry and attract more visitors after years of significant decline following the pandemic.
The pilot programme will enable groups of three or more tourists from mainland China to stay without a visa for up to 15 days.
The new scheme was launched ahead of China's National Day holidays, from October 1 to 8, and coincided with South Korean holidays.
The participants in the newly launched scheme arrived on Monday at Incheon (approximately 30km west of Seoul) aboard the "MS Dream" cruise from Tianjin, which carried approximately 2,189 passengers and 563 crew members.
The sailing boat will return to China after a one-day stop and will ultimately complete a five-day expedition. South Korean companies aim to capitalize on the rising demand.
Meanwhile, Shilla Duty Free is conducting a Chinese cruise tour, and food delivery application Baedal Minjok is introducing payment options in Alipay and WeChat Pay.
The programme was first announced in March, following China's decision to offer visa exemptions to South Koreans for up to 30 days in November.
South Korea offered mainland Chinese a similar visa-free entry to coincide with the PyeongChang Winter Olympics (February 2018).
The new administration of President Lee Jae-myung is committed to further improving ties with China during an anticipated visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping in late October.
