GWACHEON –  South Korea has extended to the end of the year its visa fee waiver programme for group tourists from six countries, the justice ministry said Wednesday. Under the extended program, visa issuance fees will be waived for group tourists coming from China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, according to the ministry. The programme was introduced following a national tourism strategy meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae in February to promote and revitalise foreign group tourism.
The justice ministry said it expects the extension to bring positive effects on vitalising the tourism industry and recovering local economies. Around 790,000 foreigners entered the country on group visas in 2025, marking a 39 percent increase from a year earlier, according to the ministry. Of those, only 0.07 percent overstayed their visas or continue to stay here illegally, marking a drop of more than 50 percent from the previous year.