Good news for Filipino travelers! Starting in 2020, South Korea will welcome tourists from the Philippines even without a visa.
The Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Ministry of Justice announced on December 12 that the government of South Korea’s “Plan for Promoting Foreign Tours” will allow Philippine passport holders to enter the country, visa-free.
The government program will allow tourist groups to enter airports in inland areas, such as Seoul, Incheon, and Busan, for up to 5 days without a visa, as long as their final destination is Jeju Island.
The Pinoy Seoul report on December 15 revealed the government plan as part of their “Economic Policy Direction” that will be fully announced in December.
The New Visa-Free Program will cover the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia
The Jeju area visitors visa-free program is one of the three ways to enter South Korea that was announced by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in November. Visa-free entry can also be gained by tourists in transit to third countries or by foreign transfer passengers.
South Korea is a popular travel destination for Filipinos amidst the ever-increasing patronage of Korean pop culture, with even Broadway star Lea Salonga exchanging fan tweets with Korean star Lee Sung Kyung.
Korean Dramas (K-Dramas) have been adapted either with subbed audio in Filipino or remade into local versions such as the Descendants of the Sun.
The Koreans are loving the Filipinos back as they have been named by the Department of Tourism as the top-ranking tourists in the Philippines.
Filipino actors have also been awarded in South Korean festivals, among them, Filipino actors Alden Richards and Dennis Trillo who were awarded the Asian Star Prize at the Seoul International Drama Awards and Maja Salvador who was named Best Actress at the Busan International Film Festival’s 1st Asia Contents Awards.
The 1st Korea Pinoy International Film Festival was held this year and marked the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Philippines.
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