After the implementation of South Korea's visa-free policy, the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea has grown rapidly. (AFP)
Last year, South Korea's Lee Jae-min government set a goal of increasing the number of Chinese tourists to 5.36 million. From September 29 to June 30 this year, the South Korean government implemented a conditional visa-free policy for Chinese group tourists. The policy allows Chinese group tourists of 3 or more people organized by designated travel agencies to stay in South Korea for up to 15 days.
After the visa-free policy was implemented, the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea grew rapidly, and the crime rate among Chinese citizens was once worrying. On the 31st of last month, a petition calling for a ban on visa-free entry for Chinese citizens and strengthening immigration review and crime control for foreigners was posted on the congressional petition bulletin board, highlighting the growing anti-China sentiment.
The petitioners said that in recent years, as the number of foreigners living in South Korea has increased, public concerns about foreign crimes have also grown, adding that while revitalizing the tourism industry and its economic impact are important, they should not override the lives and safety of citizens, and called for the cancellation of the visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens.
Another petitioner posted a petition strongly calling for the abolition of the visa-free entry system for Chinese citizens. The petition refers to the recent disappearance and death of 37-year-old South Korean woman Jang Mi-ran on Jeju Island, as well as the controversy surrounding the initial police response, and calls for the abolition of the visa-free entry system for Chinese citizens.
The petitioners believe that the visa-free system has been abused for criminal activities and cited problems such as rising crime rates and stranded foreigners on Jeju Island. They specifically pointed out that the government has mismanaged the security situation and illegal immigration issues in Jeju Island, and demanded the immediate abolition of the visa-free system. As of the 14th, the petition had received 22,389 signatures.
Jeju Island, this tourist island often called "Korean Hawaii", has implemented a visa-free entry system since 2002. The "Jeju Island Visa-Free Entry System (B-2-2)" allows foreigners who meet certain conditions to enter and stay in Jeju Island without a visa, with a maximum stay of 30 days.
In addition, the petitioners believe that "entry screening of foreigners should be strengthened regardless of nationality." It is recommended to expand the scope of criminal information sharing between countries to verify criminal records before entry, including whether there are internationally wanted criminals, past entry refusal or deportation records, and whether there is a history of illegal stay or violation of immigration control laws.
The petitioners are calling for stricter criteria that would in principle restrict the entry of foreigners with serious criminal records, such as murder, robbery, sex offences, drug offences, and organized crime.
"This is not to exclude foreigners, but to ensure that all persons entering South Korea abide by law and order and establish a normal immigration control system that prioritizes citizen safety," the petitioners said.
As of 3 pm on the 14th, the petition had received 58,660 signatures. According to Congress's procedures for soliciting public comments, if a petition collects more than 50,000 signatures within 30 days, it will be submitted to the relevant standing committee, which will respond.
