South Korea welcomed the first batch of Chinese tourists arriving by cruise under a new visa‑free scheme on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, when the 77,000‑tonne MS Dream docked in Incheon with 2,189 passengers and 563 crew on board.
The pilot programme, announced in March, began on Sept. 29, 2025 and runs through June 2026. Groups of three or more mainland Chinese tourists may enter South Korea without visas for stays of up to 15 days.
The MS Dream departed Tianjin on Saturday and docked in Incheon, located 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) west of Seoul, early on Monday. The ship will return to China after a one‑day stop, wrapping up a five‑day journey.
Shilla Duty Free organised a Chinese cruise tour with more than 2,700 passengers, and food delivery app Baedal Minjok is introducing payment options through Alipay and WeChat Pay, South Korean companies said.
Passengers waved and took photos as they disembarked, and local residents gathered to greet them. The Incheon Port Authority set up food trucks offering Korean dishes, and the city government planned a welcoming event in the downtown plaza.
The shipping and tourism sectors expect the visa waiver to lift demand not only for cruises but also for international car ferries linking China and South Korea.
“The MS Dream’s arrival will serve as a catalyst for revitalising maritime tourism between South Korea and China,” said Lee Kyung‑gyu, president of the Incheon Port Authority. “We will do our best to expand cruise routes and help revive the local economy.”
Seoul launched the programme in March after Beijing’s decision last November to offer visa exemptions to South Koreans for up to 30 days. The new administration of President Lee Jae Myung is hoping to further improve ties with China during an expected visit by President Xi Jinping in late October to an Asia‑Pacific summit in South Korea.
