Selected Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines are in consideration to easily enter mainland Korea under special conditions.
According to Philippine Ambassador to Korea Raul Hernandez, the Philippines is being considered by the Korean government to be issued electronic visas and are allowed visa-free entry to mainland Korea for 5 days. Electronic visas are issued to group tourists and do not need the applicant to personally apply for the visa to the Korean Embassy; it is issued by an accredited travel agency. This move comes along to strengthen the tourism industry of the country.
In a news report by Manila Bulletin, Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) discussed that this is still under negotiations by relevant offices including the Ministry of Justice and hopes its full implementation within May of this year. The 5-day visa-free is applicable to group tourists who are bound for Jeju Island but need to connect their flights through Incheon or Gimhae Airports. This visa-free scheme will be implemented starting June.
Source: Manila Bulletin, Photo: Koogle.tv
