South Korea Introduces Temporary Visa Waiver for Indonesian Group Tourists

SEOUL, May 27 (Yonhap) -- A temporary visa waiver program for Indonesian group tourists visiting South Korea will begin this week, officials said Wednesday. Under the program, Indonesian tour groups of three or more people will be allowed to travel in the country without visas for up to 15 days from Thursday through the end of December this year, according to the justice ministry. The move came after the government decided to ease visa and entry requirements for foreign tourists during a tourism strategy meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung in February as part of efforts to promote inbound tourism across the country. The temporary visa-free program is expected to help boost the nation's tourism industry, according to the Korea Immigration Service. The government also introduced measures to prevent illegal stay, including requiring South Korean travel agencies to register a list of their tourists on a government website 24 hours before their entry. The justice ministry said it will check the lists to see whether they include high-risk individuals, such as those subject to entry restrictions or with a history of illegal stays. Such individuals will be excluded from the visa waiver program. Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho vowed to work closely with relevant ministries to ensure that the program helps stimulate domestic consumption while maintaining order regarding the stay of foreign tourists.