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Foreign tourists in traditional Korean garb walk through Gyeongbuk Palace in Seoul on June 13, 2023. (Yonhap)

In an effort to bolster tourism, the South Korean government has announced intentions to issue visas for international K-pop trainees. It also plans on issuing short-term public transportation passes for tourists. 

On Monday, the Ministry of Economy and Finance announced measures for boosting tourism to South Korea, including those to encourage long-term sojourns. This includes a “K-culture training visa,” designed for foreigners looking to become K-pop trainees under major entertainment companies. The government will begin a trial run of the visa in the second half of the year. Currently, trainees need to return to their native countries every few months to renew their visas. 

The ministry also announced measures for modifying the digital nomad visa that has been undergoing a trial run since January of this year. The modifications would tailor an individual’s visa by linking it to various incentives offered by local governments. The visa allows digital nomads to stay on a long-term tourist visa, so long as their work is remote and not based in a domestic firm. 

There were also measures to expedite the entry process and shave down inconveniences related to entering the country. These include building more administrative infrastructure for processing visa applications and issuing visas, as well as procedures to reduce the amount of time it takes for visitors from Southeast Asia to get a tourist visa. Currently, it takes more than a month for Southeast Asians to get their tourist visas. The ministry also plans to increase the number of people who can approved for with a single application for Korea’s electronic travel authorization system, the K-ETA, to 50 people.  

Students in the international summer school at Korea University take part in a flash mob dancing to a song by Twice on the school’s campus in July 2019. (Yonhap)

South Korea also looks to minimize the inconveniences that foreign tourists face. It will begin selling foreign-only public transit cards that can be charged with foreign credit cards via an app on flights arriving in Korea. Currently, public transportation cards can only be charged at subway stations and convenience stores, and only using cash. 

Korea will also introduce short-term unlimited public transit passes exclusively for tourists visiting the country that can be used in Seoul and other major cities. A pass that allows for one day of unlimited rides in Seoul will be sold for 5,000 won.  

In addition, reviews of major tourist sites on the Naver Map app will be translated into English, Chinese and other foreign languages.

The ministry said it had devised these plans by “listening to voices on the ground and actively implementing their suggestions.” It also declared its goal of seeing 30 million annual foreign tourists and US$30 billion in tourism revenue by 2027. As of April, a total of 4.87 million tourists have visited Korea so far this year. 

By Ahn Tae-ho, staff reporter

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