Seoul: South Korea on Wednesday announced visa-free entry for Chinese tourists from next month amid moves to stabilize bilateral ties. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's office at a meeting of the task force for tourism promotion policies at the government complex in the capital, Seoul.

According to Anadolu Agency, the visa requirements will be temporarily lifted for Chinese group tourists from September 29 until the end of June next year. The government stated, "With Korea's inbound tourism market recovering rapidly, the new visa waiver policy is expected to generate additional demand from Chinese tourists and contribute to revitalizing regional economies and boosting domestic demand."

This development follows China's decision last November to extend visa-free entry for Korean nationals from 15 to 30 days. However, Seoul's latest move came after recent remarks by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who described China as "somewhat problematic" for its neighbors. In response, the South Korean Presidency clarified, "We're seeking to develop our bilateral relations with China based on the staunch South Korea-US alliance."

Last week, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi spoke with Foreign Minister Cho ahead of his visit to Washington and urged both sides to uphold "good neighborliness." Wang emphasized that China and South Korea should be "genuine strategic cooperative partners" working together to elevate bilateral ties.