Jeju Island Visa-Free Entry: Province Looks To Renewable Energy, Electric Cars

Jeju, a province in South Korea, is now offering a visa-free entry for 15 days to tourists from Southeast Asian countries. This is part of the government's effort to streamline the customs procedures, including the plan to expand the visa-free entry in a bid to counter a Chinese boycott.

Jeju's Visa-Free Entry Will Make Travel Easier For Southeast Asian Tourists

The new Jeju visa-free entry offering is expected to allow electronic visa processing for tour groups coming from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia in May. This was revealed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Wednesday. Given such, the groups of five or more tourists from these countries may get visas through their travel agents without the need to go to the Korean embassy.

Meantime, tourists with only "zero-dollar' package from China were allowed to apply for visas online until now. Meanwhile, a 15-day, visa-free entry to Jeju Island will be allowed to Southeast Asian tourists beginning in June without being required for a transit visa for the Korean mainland, Chosun reported.

Jeju Island Goes Green

Jeju Island turns to earth-friendly pursuits to power its economy. According to reports, the shift in priority comes as the Chinese visitors decline in numbers after South Korea decided to deploy a US anti-missile system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. This, however, was seen by Beijing as a threat, barring some travel agencies in early March from promoting South Korea tours and even discouraged the Chinese citizens from visiting the country.

The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, meantime, is aimed at supporting the livelihoods of island residents despite the travel trends, by encouraging renewable energy and electric cars. Reports suggest that some residents welcome this as a new alternative, Nikkei reported.  Watch Winter View at Jeju Island here: