DP Rebukes Opposition's Call to Ban Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tourists: "Baseless Hate Against a Specific Country"

Opposition Raises Immigration System Concerns Over National Information Resources Service Fire
Kim Byungki: "Forcibly Stirring Up Public Anxiety"
On Possibility of Illegal or Criminal Organization Infiltration
"Foreigner-Bashing and Claims Contrary to Facts"

On October 1, the Democratic Party of Korea pushed back against the People Power Party, which has been arguing for blocking the temporary visa-free entry of Chinese group tourists, stating, "Livelihood issues must come first, not hate or political strife."

Kim Byungki, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the Policy Coordination Meeting held at the National Assembly on October 1, "There are absurd claims being made that visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists should be blocked."

Recently, opposition parties have called for postponing the visa-free entry policy for Chinese group tourists, citing the impact on the immigration system caused by the fire at the National Information Resources Service.

Na Kyungwon, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, posted on her social media on September 29, the first day of visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists, "The Ministry of Justice insisted there were no problems with the immigration system and pushed ahead with the visa-free entry policy, but behind the scenes, they issued an emergency notice saying that due to an electronic immigration system error, entrants do not need to input their addresses." She urged, "The visa-free entry policy should be postponed until practical measures for identity verification, information management, and follow-up actions are fully in place to ease public concerns."

Kim Minsu, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, also stated at the Supreme Council meeting on the same day, "Visa-free entry is expected to lead to illegal stays and illegal employment by Chinese nationals, and there is also a possibility of criminal organizations exploiting the visa-free system." He argued, "This is a dangerous gamble with public safety at stake."

Kim Byungki, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly on October 1, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

In response, Floor Leader Kim said, "They are forcibly linking the fire at the National Information Resources Service to stir up public anxiety. The computer network issue and immigration screening are entirely separate matters." He continued, "Not only are these claims unfounded and contrary to the facts, but targeting the citizens of a specific country is dangerous foreigner-bashing. What is urgently needed now is to boost domestic demand and revive the tourism industry."

Kim Youngbae, a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and the Democratic Party's Policy Coordination Chair for Foreign Affairs and Unification, also mentioned the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit to be held in Gyeongju this month. He criticized the remarks by Supreme Council Member Kim and Assemblywoman Na, saying, "It is deeply concerning that at such a critical time, protests and statements inciting hate and discrimination against a specific country are being made, mainly by some far-right groups."

He added, "Many small business owners are looking forward to the influx of Chinese tourists and others through this APEC summit and diplomatic events, hoping for an economic boost. Nevertheless, indiscriminately spreading anti-China sentiment is nothing more than a typical act of political strife that sacrifices the national interest for political gain."

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