China suspends short-term visas for South Koreans: Why the retaliatory move

The suspension will be adjusted if South Korea removes its “discriminative inbound restrictive measures” targeting China, the embassy said in a statement.

China has suspended issuing some short-term visas for South Korean nationals in retaliation against the latter’s curbs on Chinese travelers.

Travelers wearing face masks wait for their luggage in the international arrivals. (AP)

The Chinese embassy and consulates in South Korea will stop issuing short-term visas for visits, business, tourism, medical care, transit and personal matters on Tuesday. The suspension will be adjusted if South Korea removes its “discriminative inbound restrictive measures” targeting China, the embassy said in a statement.

It’s the first retaliatory move China has made after a raft of nations recently implemented testing requirements for travelers from the country. The dismantling of China’s Covid Zero policy after nearly three years has sparked a deluge of infections that, combined with a lack of information about how many people are sick or dying, has raised concerns over the possibility that new virus strains will emerge.

China had warned earlier this month that it would hit back on such moves and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Monday expressed concerns about South Korea’s travel curbs to his Korean counterpart Park Jin, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

South Korea said in late-December it will require Covid tests for all travelers from China by end of February, and would limit short-term visa issuance until end of January. It also put the further increase in the number of flights from China on hold and directed existing flights to one airport.