China Bans South Korean Tour Groups, Say Travel Agencies

[minime]

Tour agencies in China’s Shandong province said they received notification from the government of a ban on group trips to South Korea, in a further signal that Beijing isn’t adopting a fast approach to restoring normal ties with Seoul.

 

A Shandong branch of China International Travel Service said it received notice that no tour groups to South Korea will be allowed beginning Jan. 1, while Shandong China Travel Service also said it can no longer organize trips. A Beijing travel agency said it hasn’t heard of any changes and is continuing with plans for group tours, though Yonhap News reported Beijing may take similar measures next week.

 

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing denied there’s a ban, adding China was open to cooperation with South Korea in various sectors.

 

 

The developments follow conflicting reports this week over whether China is again blocking group visas to South Korea. The government earlier this year placed an unofficial curb on tourism following Seoul’s deployment of a U.S. missile shield, but expectations have grown in recent months that an easing of tensions between the two nations would result in the dropping of barriers to allow a free flow of visitors to South Korea.

 

China is trying to “tame†South Korea with the ban amid high expectations for a restoration of relations after President Moon Jae-in’s China visit, Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified person in Beijing. Yonhap News said the ban may be temporary.

 

While Chinese President Xi Jinping and his South Korean counterpart Moon pledged last week in Beijing to move beyond the dispute, signs of discord were evident. Chinese media said the visit failed to produce a joint statement among leaders for the first time since the nations established formal diplomatic ties in 1992.

 

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-22/china-tour-agencies-say-government-is-banning-south-korea-trips

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OP: So does it mean the complete end of Hallyu/Kpop push into China?

[RUNCH RANDA]

sucks most  for groups with chinese members

[Itskimchibitch]

ppl keep bringing in kpop but that's nothing compared to lost revenue in korea from the lack of chinese tourism. the olympic town was really banking on the chinese to come and spend money but china is being petty. cities outside of seoul really rely on foreign tourism.

[Saint Ren]

 

 

OP: So does it mean the complete end of Hallyu/Kpop push into China?

 

 

I hope not, I need an NCT China unit. 

 

China really knows how to pile the pressure on, no wonder the Korean government has stepped up their tourism efforts in Europe, I've never seen as many 'come to Korea' posters as I have this summer 

[itouch]

I'm glad kpop groups and drama can keep focus in Korea.

[H e r e]

I hope not, I need an NCT China unit.

 

China really knows how to pile the pressure on, no wonder the Korean government has stepped up their tourism efforts in Europe, I've never seen as many 'come to Korea' posters as I have this summer

Lmao this, I saw an ad with Krystal in the subway, it was the first time I saw something related to kpop outside korean stores

[Saint Ren]

Lmao this, I saw an ad with Krystal in the subway, it was the first time I saw something related to kpop outside korean stores

 

They are everywhere! I was so taken aback the first time I saw it, the ones I saw had Krystal on it as well and a friend of mine from Germany said the ones in her town had Minho. The Korean marketing team in the U.K have also really stepped up their game, There were so many Korean events this summer and I actually saw articles about the London Korean festival in mainstream news. The government's trying to make up for the fall in tourism and I hope it starts working. 

[H e r e]

They are everywhere! I was so taken aback the first time I saw it, the ones I saw had Krystal on it as well and a friend of mine from Germany said the ones in her town had Minho. The Korean marketing team in the U.K have also really stepped up their game, There were so many Korean events this summer and I actually saw articles about the London Korean festival in mainstream news. The government's trying to make up for the fall in tourism and I hope it starts working.

Haha yeah. I live in France and there was something like a special France-Korea year two years ago I think, there were special events too, and some high schools had Korean language as an option for the first time.

[#goddamnitkongwee]

Korean export grow bigger in China. Of course, tourist is the one that get the most employment.

[Queen's Mine]

Tour agencies in China’s Shandong province said they received notification from the government of a ban on group trips to South Korea, in a further signal that Beijing isn’t adopting a fast approach to restoring normal ties with Seoul.

 

A Shandong branch of China International Travel Service said it received notice that no tour groups to South Korea will be allowed beginning Jan. 1, while Shandong China Travel Service also said it can no longer organize trips. A Beijing travel agency said it hasn’t heard of any changes and is continuing with plans for group tours, though Yonhap News reported Beijing may take similar measures next week.

 

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing denied there’s a ban, adding China was open to cooperation with South Korea in various sectors.

 

 

The developments follow conflicting reports this week over whether China is again blocking group visas to South Korea. The government earlier this year placed an unofficial curb on tourism following Seoul’s deployment of a U.S. missile shield, but expectations have grown in recent months that an easing of tensions between the two nations would result in the dropping of barriers to allow a free flow of visitors to South Korea.

 

China is trying to “tame†South Korea with the ban amid high expectations for a restoration of relations after President Moon Jae-in’s China visit, Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified person in Beijing. Yonhap News said the ban may be temporary.

 

While Chinese President Xi Jinping and his South Korean counterpart Moon pledged last week in Beijing to move beyond the dispute, signs of discord were evident. Chinese media said the visit failed to produce a joint statement among leaders for the first time since the nations established formal diplomatic ties in 1992.

 

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-22/china-tour-agencies-say-government-is-banning-south-korea-trips

________________________________________________________________________________

 

OP: So does it mean the complete end of Hallyu/Kpop push into China?

 

Actually China and SK already made agreements.

 

China will lifts those ban and SK will remove THAAD and also 3noes

 

"Seoul has now agreed to accept military constraints in return for the lifting of those sanctions, creating a worrying precedent for Beijing’s rivals in the region.

 

The military constraints are known as the “three nosâ€, meaning Seoul agrees there will be no further anti-ballistic missile systems in Korea, no joining of a region-wide US missile defence system and no military alliance involving Korea, the US and Japan. This is an enormous sacrifice but for reasons both economic and political Moon had few other options."

 

http://m.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2120452/china-wins-its-war-against-south-koreas-us-thaad-missile

 

China already partly lifts ban.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/28/china-partly-lifts-ban-on-group-tours-to-south-korea-online-curbs-stay.html

 

but there is no sign that SK good will to remove THAAD