South Korean government launches new visas

The South Korea has announced its plans to expand visa benefits in order to attract 20 million foreign visitors and create $24.5 billion in tourism revenue next year. In this regard, South Korea will expand the number of tourist groups that can apply for electronic entry permits. In addition, a visa for those interested in South Korean culture and a visa for digital nomads will be introduced next year. The e-visa option will be extended to tourists from Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, and the application period will be extended until next year. In September this year, such decision was made to attract more tourists from China.

The K-cultural visa is designed for young foreign nationals interested in Korean content and who want to familiarize themselves with the country's entertainment industry. Meanwhile, the digital nomad visa allows one to reside in Korea for one to two years, allowing its holder to keep a job in their home country. In addition, the South Korean government is planning other measures to increase inbound tourism. They are looking to introduce international mobile payment capabilities in their stores so that travelers can use payment methods from their home countries.

The country has seen a significant increase in the number of travelers, surpassing even pre-pandemic records. The number of inbound travelers and revenues have increased. For example, in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, South Korea welcomed 17.5 million tourists and generated $20.7 billion in revenue.