Chinese tourists flock to Myeong-dong as visa-free entry begins

Busloads of Chinese tourists arrived in central Seoul on Monday, as Korea began allowing visa-free entry for groups of three or more visitors from China, a measure set to last until June. At 4 p.m., a 45-seat bus pulled into the parking lot of the Lotte Duty Free flagship store in Myeong-dong. The passengers were among 1,700 who had traveled aboard the cruise ship Dream from Tianjin. The group benefited from the new policy, which is expected to provide a boost to local businesses. Lotte Duty Free usually sees around 1,000 Chinese shoppers on a weekday. Li Xiaofan, a woman in her 40s, showed off snacks she had bought in Bukchon Hanok Village before arriving at the duty-free shop. “It usually takes about a month to get a travel visa, even if you apply quickly. Coming without a visa is much more convenient,” she said with a smile. Across the street at CJ Olive Young’s three-story Myeongdong Town store, facial masks were in high demand. Liu Yihan, a woman in her 20s from Xiamen, picked up four boxes of facial masks she had seen on Xiaohongshu, China’s version of Instagram. “If I hadWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times