According to a statement released by the embassy, the suspension will be lifted if South Korea abandons its “discriminatory incoming restriction measures” that are directed toward China.
In retaliation for South Korea’s restrictions on Chinese tourists, China has stopped providing some types of tourist visas to South Korean nationals for short stays.
On Tuesday, the Chinese embassy and consulates in South Korea would no longer be able to provide short-term visas to South Korean citizens for visits, business, tourism, medical care, transit, or personal concerns. According to a statement released by the embassy, the suspension will be lifted if South Korea abandons its “discriminatory incoming restriction measures” that are directed toward China.
It is the first time China has taken action in retaliation for the recent implementation of testing requirements for passengers from the country by a number of other nations. After nearly three years of implementation, China’s COVID Zero policy was discontinued, which resulted in a flood of new infections. In addition, there is a lack of information regarding the number of people who have become ill or died, which has led to increased concerns regarding the possibility that new virus strains will emerge.
According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Foreign Minister Qin Gang voiced his concerns about South Korea’s travel curbs to his Korean counterpart, Park Jin, on Monday. Earlier in the month, China had issued a warning that it would retaliate against such actions, and the warning was reiterated on Monday.
At the end of December, South Korea said that beginning at the end of February, it would demand COVID testing for all visitors coming from China and would delay the issuing of short-term visas until the end of January. Additionally, it halted plans to increase the total number of flights departing from China and rerouted those that were already in operation to a single airport.