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2 Chinese tourists missing after entering on visa-free program

Published: 06 Jan. 2026, 19:40

Chinese tourists enter Korea under a visa-free group tour program at Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal in Yeonsu District, Incheon, on Oct. 13, 2025. [YONHAP]

Two Chinese tourists who entered Korea on Thursday under a visa-free program have gone missing, prompting immigration authorities to launch a search.

The Incheon Immigration Office said on Tuesday it is trying to locate the two individuals after they lost contact with their tour agency.

Authorities believe the pair arrived at Incheon Port on Thursday via a ferry from Qingdao, China, and then went missing.

They entered Korea under a visa-free program for Chinese tourists that took effect in September 2025. The tourists were scheduled to leave Korea on Saturday, according to their itinerary, but a tour guide from their travel agency discovered they were missing and reported the case to immigration authorities.

Officials are currently tracking their whereabouts based on their travel itinerary and contact records.

"Visa-free travelers are allowed to stay for up to 15 days, so it is too early to say they are overstaying illegally," an immigration official said. "But since they are out of contact, we are trying to determine their location."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]