As South Korea's tourism industry reels from the recent outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the government is pulling out the stops to lure visitors back into country, announcing plans to waive visa fees for visitors from China and Southeast Asia.
A $15 tourist visa fee will be waived from July 6 through to September 30 for tour groups from China, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, the AFP reported on Wednesday.
Meantime, the validity of visas issued between March 1 and June 30 will be automatically extended to six months from three months.
"These measures are aimed to help boost the tourism industry, which has been affected by the Mers outbreak," the justice ministry said in a statement.
The country's tourism sector has been hit hard since the outbreak of the deadly virus on May 20.