German Media: Over 50,000 People in South Korea Sign Petition to Cancel Visa-Free Access for Chinese Citizens
A petition on the South Korean National Assembly's "Citizen Consent Petition" website calling for the termination of visa-free entry for Chinese citizens has gathered over 50,000 signatures. The petitioners argue that this measure is necessary to ensure public safety in South Korean society.
According to the Central News Agency, a growing number of voices have recently emerged on the National Assembly’s “Citizen Consent Petition” platform demanding the cancellation of the visa-free entry system for Chinese nationals. One such petition had already surpassed 50,000 signatures by last Saturday.
The petition titled "Request to Ban Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Nationals and Strengthen Foreigner Entry Screening and Crime Management" cites public safety as its primary justification. It calls for the abolition of the visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens, along with enhanced scrutiny at entry points, stricter management of foreigners residing in South Korea, and improved mechanisms for sharing criminal information across borders.
Petitioners note that as the number of foreigners living and operating in South Korea continues to rise, concerns among some local residents about foreign-related crime have also increased.
It should be clarified that South Korea’s current arrangement is not a blanket visa exemption for individual Chinese travelers, but rather a group-based policy primarily targeting organized tours arranged by designated travel agencies from China. Under this scheme, groups of three or more people may enter South Korea visa-free and stay for up to 15 days. This policy was initially implemented on September 29, 2025, and has since been extended through December 31, 2026.
The "Chinese Phenomenon" in Jeju Island
Under special regulations applicable to Jeju Island, foreigners can enter without a visa and stay for up to 30 days, though they are prohibited from traveling to areas outside Jeju without authorization. Additionally, during the 2010s, Jeju introduced preferential policies for investment immigration, allowing individuals who invest more than 5 million KRW (approximately 320,000 EUR) to obtain permanent residency on the island.
These provisions have attracted large numbers of Chinese tourists to visit Jeju for tourism purposes, while also triggering a surge in Chinese-funded real estate development projects—some of which are now abandoned or stalled. A report published by *Süddeutsche Zeitung* in early September highlighted how Chinese investment, immigration, and tourism are reshaping Jeju’s landscape, sparking concern among local residents, urban planners, and government officials.
Currently, another petition on the South Korean National Assembly’s petition website calls for the abolition of the "Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Visa-Free Entry System."
Under South Korea’s “Citizen Consent Petition” system, any public petition that receives over 50,000 endorsements within 30 days must be reviewed by the relevant committee in the National Assembly. Therefore, petitions exceeding the 50,000-signature threshold will be forwarded to the appropriate parliamentary committees for further examination.
Source: DW
Original Article: toutiao.com/article/1876306194705416/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.