Chinese tourists flock to Myeong-dong as visa-free entry begins

Chinese shoppers browse the facial mask section at CJ Olive Young’s Myeongdong Town store in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Park Kyung-dam

Busloads of Chinese tourists arrived in central Seoul on Monday, as Korea began allowing visa-free entry for groups of three or more visitors from China, a measure set to last until June.

At 4 p.m., a 45-seat bus pulled into the parking lot of the Lotte Duty Free flagship store in Myeong-dong. The passengers were among 1,700 who had traveled aboard the cruise ship Dream from Tianjin.

The group benefited from the new policy, which is expected to provide a boost to local businesses. Lotte Duty Free usually sees around 1,000 Chinese shoppers on a weekday.

Li Xiaofan, a woman in her 40s, showed off snacks she had bought in Bukchon Hanok Village before arriving at the duty-free shop. “It usually takes about a month to get a travel visa, even if you apply quickly. Coming without a visa is much more convenient,” she said with a smile.

Across the street at CJ Olive Young’s three-story Myeongdong Town store, facial masks were in high demand.

Liu Yihan, a woman in her 20s from Xiamen, picked up four boxes of facial masks she had seen on Xiaohongshu, China’s version of Instagram.

“If I had known about the visa-free program earlier, I would have delayed my trip,” she said. “Young Chinese who like K-pop will definitely come more often, and I plan to visit again.”

Banners welcoming Chinese group tourists hang in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Park Kyung-dam

Stores, payment firms prepare for influx

To welcome the return of Chinese group tourists, banners co-sponsored by the Myeongdong Tourism Zone Association, Alipay and UnionPay were hung on streetlight poles.

The association arranged for about 500 shops — two-thirds of the district’s businesses — to offer a 5 percent discount to Chinese customers paying with Alipay or UnionPay.

UnionPay also set up a promotional booth near Myeongdong Theater, offering gifts to users who posted proof of card use on social media. The move highlighted how Chinese payment companies are expanding their presence in Korea in anticipation of the rise in tourist demand.

Major retailers are also preparing. Olive Young said it had stocked 129 stores in popular tourist areas with supplies equivalent to its largest annual sales event.

Lotte Mart announced a “K-Food Festa” starting Tuesday at 10 stores, including its Seoul Station branch, offering discounts of up to 50 percent on items popular with Chinese visitors.

More than 10 tour buses carrying Chinese group tourists are parked at Lotte Duty Free’s parking lot in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Park Kyung-dam

Concerns over anti-China sentiment

The visa-free policy comes amid lingering concerns about anti-China sentiment. Until early September, anti-China protests frequently took place in Myeong-dong, sometimes leading to clashes with merchants.

“Protesters would walk along the street food stalls and curse at anyone who looked Chinese. Other Asians were also targeted,” one shop owner said.

President Lee Jae Myung criticized the demonstrations as “disruptive” in a speech on Sept. 11. Since then, protesters have been barred from entering the commercial district.

Police have also stepped up patrols, but many merchants remain cautious. “Protesters have the right to express opinions, but if demonstrations continue in Myeong-dong, not only Chinese but also other foreign tourists may stop coming,” said Park Soo-don, secretary-general of the Myeongdong Tourism Zone Association.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.