Travelers planning trips to South Korea next year will have one less concern, as Singaporeans and nationals from 21 other countries and regions will continue to be exempt from the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) requirement until December 31, 2025.

This extension was announced on December 11 through a notice on the K-ETA website, citing the aim to boost the tourism industry as the reason for prolonging the temporary exemption period by another year. The K-ETA is a mandatory entry clearance for travelers from visa-free nations and must be obtained at least 24 hours before departure. It is valid for three years, allowing multiple visits with the same passport during this time.

The notice also clarified that travelers can still apply for K-ETA if they wish to benefit from its perks, such as skipping the need to submit an arrival card, although the application fee of 10,000 won (approximately S$9) will still apply.

Culture Minister Yu In-chon addressed potential visitors earlier in December via Bloomberg Television, reassuring them about safety in the wake of a brief martial law declaration on December 3, which caused nationwide political unrest. "Please come, you are safe," Yu said.

According to the Changi Airport Group, October 2023 saw approximately 209,000 passengers traveling between Singapore and South Korea, a notable increase from the 153,000 passengers in October 2019. Over the first 10 months of 2023, 1.8 million passengers traveled between the two countries, compared to 1.32 million during the same period in 2019.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters