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Korean embassy requests takedown of government-impersonating Chinese websites

Published: 09 Mar. 2026, 22:05

An illegal website impersonating a Korean government institution claims to process Chinese nationals' electronic arrival declarations when coming to Korea for a fee. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korea’s embassy in China has asked local authorities to remove and investigate illegal websites on a Chinese portal that falsely claim to process Korea’s electronic arrival declarations for a fee.

Korea’s electronic arrival declaration service — which allows foreign nationals to submit their entry declaration online before arrival — is free and available through the government’s official website in multiple languages, including English, Chinese and Japanese.

"Two illegal websites have been set up on the Chinese portal Baidu that impersonate Korean government institutions, claiming to provide Korea’s electronic arrival declaration service," Roh Jae-heon, Korea's ambassador to China, said during a regular press briefing at the embassy in Beijing.

The embassy sent official requests to China’s Cyberspace Administration, the Ministry of Public Security's National Immigration Administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asking them to remove the sites and investigate. Authorities first identified the sites after a Chinese citizen filed a complaint last Wednesday, but they remain accessible as of Monday.

The websites offer services in Chinese and English, and require users to pay 232 yuan ($33) for a standard application and 510 yuan for expedited processing.

The illegal sites include a disclaimer in small text stating that they have no affiliation with the Korean government or the Korean Embassy in China. But their main pages display images of the Korean flag and phrases such as “Republic of Korea electronic entry” — using the country’s official name — and “Korea travel support,” making them appear to be official services.

"The websites operate as commercial platforms unrelated to the Korean government and use Chinese domain names," an embassy official said. “We will contact portal sites and other relevant parties to take action as quickly as possible."

President Lee Jae Myung, right, greets Korean Ambassador to China Roh Jae-heon, right, during an official welcoming ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Gyeongju National Museum in North Gyeongsang on Nov. 1, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Ambassador Roh noted that the illegal sites appeared amid rising interest in visiting Korea and an increase in visa applications.

“We have notified the public through the embassy’s website and WeChat channels and urged people to exercise caution,” he said.

Travel demand from China to Korea has increased in recent months amid improving bilateral relations.

Data from the Ministry of Justice and Chinese officials show that 442,379 Chinese nationals visited Korea in January, up 14.3 percent from a year earlier. Authorities issued 205,580 visas to Chinese nationals through February, a 34 percent increase from a year earlier.

An embassy official said visa demand has strained staffing levels.

“About 1,000 visa applications arrive each day, and we face a shortage of personnel handling visa work,” the official said. “We are responding as best we can to prevent delays in processing.”

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 JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]