February 26, 2026 | 02:16 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - South Korea plans to provide visa-free entry to Indonesian travelers as part of an ambitious package of tourism measures to attract 30 million international visitors to Korea. These steps include loosening visa regulations, expanding regional airport routes, and cracking down on price fraud.
According to the Korea Times, Indonesian tourists will be granted visa-free entry as a trial for groups of three or more. Additionally, Chinese nationals and Southeast Asian visitors who have previously been to Korea will qualify for a five-year multiple-entry visa. Residents of major cities in those countries can apply for a 10-year visa.
In addition to Indonesia, Korea will also ease the automatic entry process for citizens of the European Union. Korea's automatic immigration gates, currently available to travelers from 18 countries, including Japan, Singapore, and Australia, will be expanded to citizens of these regions.
These steps were announced at the 11th National Tourism Strategy Meeting on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. The meeting was chaired by President Lee Jae Myung and attended by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, ministers from 15 government agencies, and representatives from the tourism industry.
At the meeting, Lee Jae Myung emphasized that tourism should be treated as a core national strategic industry. This means that tourism should evolve beyond merely selling products and become a cultural sector that creates valuable memories for individuals, turning Korea's cultural preferences into visits to Korea.
The Golden Age of Korean Culture
This ambitious move is designed to coincide with Korea's cultural golden age, as described by Minister of Culture Chae Hwi-young. Korean culture has become a draw for the domestic travel industry, launching an ambitious initiative titled "K-Tourism Embraces the World." Seoul is seeking to capitalize on the post-pandemic recovery, which, though substantial, remains overshadowed by the record-breaking tourism boom in neighboring Japan.
In 2025, Korea welcomed more than 18 million visitors, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 17 million. Last year's performance also increased by about 15 percent from 2024. However, Korea is struggling to keep up with Japan's rapid increase. Japan set a global tourism record in 2025 with 43 million arrivals, nearly 16 percent more than the previous year. This surge in foreign visitors is partly due to the weak yen.
Tourism Outside of Seoul
The government is also making concerted efforts to direct visitors outside of Seoul. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport plans to increase direct international flights to regional airports by creating special air traffic rights for these hubs and offering cost reductions to attract new routes.
More domestic connecting flights will be added between Incheon and regional airports. Late-night airport bus services, which are currently limited to 13 routes in the Seoul area, will expand to include Chungcheong and Gangwon provinces. KTX high-speed train tickets will also be available for early booking beyond the current one-month window.
This policy package also introduces the "Visit Korea Year" campaign from 2027 to 2029, featuring lifestyle-based tourism products, ranging from K-beauty and K-food to K-hiking experiences. These tourism products reflect a broader shift as visitors increasingly seek to live like locals rather than just visit famous places.
Read: These Are the Cheapest Countries to Visit in Europe Right Now
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