China Lifts Overseas Group Tour Ban After Over 6 Years of THAAD Retaliation

Chinese Government to Announce Official Statement Soon

The Chinese government is lifting the ban on group tours to South Korea. This comes 6 years and 5 months after suspending the issuance of group visas to South Korea in March 2017 as a retaliatory measure against the deployment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system.

On the 9th, the Chinese government informed South Korea of its intention to lift the ban on group travel by Chinese citizens to South Korea. The resumption of group tours is expected to begin from the 11th.

This move comes as China has been gradually allowing overseas group travel for its citizens following its reopening of economic activities. Earlier, in February, China permitted group tours to 20 countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Thailand, and Indonesia. In March, similar measures were extended to 40 countries in Europe, including France, Italy, and Spain.

As of now, countries where the group travel ban remains in place include South Korea, the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada.

If group tours by Chinese citizens to South Korea resume, it is highly likely that fingerprinting, which South Koreans had to undergo when applying for Chinese visas, will be waived. Starting from the 10th, China plans to exempt fingerprinting for South Koreans applying for business, tourist, single-entry, or multiple-entry visas. The Chinese National Tourism Administration is expected to officially announce this soon.

The Chinese government had effectively suspended the issuance of group visas to South Korea in March 2017 as a retaliatory measure immediately following the THAAD incident.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.