S. Korea eases visa application requirements for Chinese tourists

By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, July 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will drastically reduce the number of
documents that Chinese tourists have to submit for visa applications to help
invigorate the local tourism industry, the Ministry of Justice said Tuesday.
Under the old regulation, Chinese applicants were required to submit up to seven
separate documents, including credit card statements, a resume, proof of vehicle
and real estate ownership and certificates of employment.
The new requirements, which go into effect on Wednesday, call for applicants to
present credit card statements from the last six months or a copy of an active
bank account, and proof of ownership of either a vehicle or real estate or proof
of income, the ministry said.
Owners of exclusive credit cards, such as gold or platinum, only need to submit
credit card statements from last six months, it said.
The new measure is intended to remove the complicated requirements that may have
discouraged Chinese travelers from coming to South Korea, the ministry said.
To provide more convenience for group tourists, the ministry will set up separate
immigration checkpoints for foreigners who arrive through Incheon and Kimhae
International Airports and the port of Busan.
"With the revised screening procedure, we expect to boost the local tourism
industry currently suffering from the global economic downturn and to improve the
national image," an official at the ministry said.
The number of foreign tourists to South Korea totaled 4.6 million in 2008, with
2.3 million from Japan and 433,000 from the United States. China came in third
with 417,000.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)