Seoul’s diplomatic shift expected to fuel China tourism surge

Under the new Lee Jae-myung administration, which advocates pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests, Korea is expected to see a rise in tourism exchanges with China, driven by an anticipated strengthening of ties between the two countries, industry insiders said Monday. During his campaign, Lee described China as “an important trading partner” and a country that “influences the security of the Korean Peninsula,” pledging to “stably manage the Korea-China relationship, which has deteriorated to its lowest point since the previous administration.” In a TV debate, he said, “We should not neglect relations with China and Russia. There is no need to unnecessarily antagonize them like now.” His remarks come after ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol prioritized closer ties with the United States while cooling relations with Beijing over the past several years. During that period, the number of Chinese tourists to South Korea nearly halved, dropping to 4.6 million in 2024 from prepandemic numbers of 8 million. This sharp decline dealt a significant blow to China-dependentWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times