In a significant move, the Chinese government has decided to lift the virtual ban on its citizens traveling abroad as a group, a restriction imposed during the COVID-19 crisis.

This decision to allow them to visit Korea comes six years after the initiation of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) retaliation in March 2017, resulting in the complete unlocking of the ban on Chinese group tours to countries such as Korea.

China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that it would permit its citizens to participate in group tours to 78 countries worldwide, encompassing nations like Korea, the United States, and Japan.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism highlighted that this decision was based on a careful evaluation of the resumption of overseas group tour activities by Chinese citizens through travel agencies.

This development marks a significant turning point for Korea, as the announcement effectively liberates group tours after a six-year hiatus. The prior ban was a response to the deployment of THAAD by the United States Forces Korea.

Diplomatic channels indicate that Chinese authorities informed South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs ahead of announcing the resumption of group tours.

The process of obtaining a travel visa for China is expected to be streamlined for Koreans, as changes were introduced to the fingerprinting process by the Chinese Embassy in Korea, using platforms like WeChat.

The Chinese Embassy in Korea has communicated that visa issuance will be suspended until December 31st. This move comes after the embassy initiated fingerprinting for all Chinese visa applicants since January 2021.