China Suspends Short-Term Visa Issuance for Koreans (Comprehensive Report 2)
Effective Immediately Upon Announcement "Equal Measures, Not Discriminatory Restrictions"
[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyun-jung] China has completely suspended the issuance of short-term visas for South Korean nationals traveling to China, launching a 'quarantine retaliation' against the South Korean government. While there is a possibility that the measures between the two countries could escalate into political and diplomatic conflicts if prolonged, the prevailing view is that related policies will change depending on the quarantine situation, such as the spread of COVID-19.
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea announced on the 10th through its official WeChat account, a social networking service (SNS) in China, that "According to domestic Chinese directives, from today onward, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in South Korea will suspend the issuance of short-term visas for South Korean nationals visiting China for purposes including visits, commercial trade, tourism, medical treatment, and personal reasons."
According to the notice posted at the Korean Visa Center, the visas suspended this time are business (M, F) and family visit (S2) related visas. The S2 visa is issued to family members such as spouses, parents, and children of holders of employment (Z) or long-term study (X1) visas. Regardless of this measure, tourist (L) visas have not been issued since the spread of COVID-19.
Retaliatory Measures Acknowledged by Chinese Foreign Ministry
This decision is analyzed as a retaliatory response to South Korea's strengthened quarantine standards.
Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing that the background for suspending visa issuance is that "a few countries ignore scientific facts and their own infectious disease situations and still insist on discriminatory entry restrictions targeting China," adding, "We firmly oppose this and have taken reciprocal measures."
He further explained, "China has made every effort to communicate sufficiently with the relevant countries and provided detailed information about the quarantine and infectious disease situations," and "We once again appeal to the relevant countries to base their actions on facts and implement scientific and appropriate quarantine measures." He emphasized, "Political manipulation should not be involved, discriminatory methods should not exist, and normal interpersonal exchanges and cooperation between countries should not be affected."
Earlier, on December 30 last year, the South Korean government implemented measures including mandatory COVID-19 testing for arrivals from China, suspension of short-term visa issuance for travel to South Korea, and restrictions on additional flights. The Chinese government defined these as 'political manipulation' and 'discrimination,' and launched a counter-operation by blocking visa issuance.
Newly appointed Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with South Korea's quarantine measures during his first phone call with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin the day before. Minister Qin expressed concern about South Korea's strengthened quarantine measures and urged to "maintain an objective and scientific attitude."
On the same day, China also announced it would not process visas for travel to China from Japan. So far, no similar measures have been identified against the United States or the European Union (EU).
Will Visa-Related Conflict Prolong?
The retaliatory measure of suspending visa issuance, which restricts the movement of citizens between the two countries, could escalate into political and diplomatic conflicts if prolonged. This is especially true given that such a situation is unprecedented. The Korean Embassy in China explained that while there have been cases where South Korea or China suspended visa issuance due to the spread of COVID-19, it is unusual to specify only a particular country as the target.
In the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, on March 26, 2020, the Chinese government announced a temporary suspension of entry for all foreigners (effective from March 28). South Korea also announced on April 9 of the same year that it would restrict visa-free entry for all foreigners (effective from April 13).
However, diplomatic circles analyze that quarantine-related measures by both countries are likely to be eased as the spread of COVID-19 subsides. A source said, "Since these measures were taken out of concern for the spread of COVID-19 and public health, they could naturally be relaxed if the COVID-19 situation in China improves."
Considering this situation, the South Korean government announced that the previous quarantine measures would be in effect for one month until January 31 this year. It also added that the issuance restriction period could be extended or lifted depending on future circumstances. China, when announcing the suspension of short-term visa issuance, also added, "This matter will be adjusted according to the cancellation of South Korea's discriminatory entry restrictions against China."
On the other hand, there are concerns comparing this quarantine conflict to the past incident when China imposed the Hallyu ban (Hanhanryeong) after South Korea decided to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Bloomberg News reported on the same day that "The decision to suspend visa issuance recalls the time after the 2017 THAAD deployment agreement when China significantly reduced trade with South Korea."
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