An online petition calling for the abolition of visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, along with tighter immigration screening, has drawn more than 60,000 signatures in under three weeks.
According to the National Assembly’s public petition board, the petition posted on Aug. 31 had surpassed 60,000 signature as of Wednesday. Under the petition system, any petition that gathers at least 50,000 signatures within 30 days of posting is forwarded to a standing committee for review.
The petition was formally referred to the relevant committee on Monday.
The petitioner, surnamed Kim, called for immediate revocation of the limited visa-free entry Korea grants to Chinese nationals. Kim also seeks stricter immigration screening standards for all individuals regardless of nationality and a more thorough vetting process of criminal and immigration records.
The petition cited goverment data on the number of foreign criminal suspects in Korea, which reached 35,296 in 2024, up 6.8 percent from the previous year. Based on police and immigration data, this is lower than the 15.4 percent increase in the number of visitors and about half the overall crime rate among the general Korean population.
The goal is "not to exclude foreigners, but to establish a well-functioning immigration system in which all individuals entering the country abide by the law, with public safety as the top priority," the petitioner wrote.
Chinese nationals are generally not granted visa-free entry, but it is allowed for group visits and visits to Jeju Island.
On Jeju Island, both individual and group tourists from China can stay for up to 30 days without a visa under the Jeju Special Act, with no additional documentation required.
For the rest of the country, Chinese group tourists, traveling in parties of three or more through a travel agency, can stay visa-free for up to 15 days. This nationwide program had been set to expire in June but was extended through December.
seoy@heraldcorp.com
