The South Korean Ministry of Justice (MOJ) announced on August 7 that it plans to push for the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) which will be implemented in Jeju Island, as the existing visa-waiver system has led to overstayers and illegal employment. Widely known as the K-ETA – “K” standing for Korea – it is a system under the Korea Immigration Service (KIS) authorizing foreign visitors’ entry through online registration. This system was put into place in South Korea in September 2021, under which citizens of the 112 countries exempt from visa requirements are to obtain the K-ETA before traveling. However, Jeju Island was an exception to the system for being the top travel destination for foreigners and for having a unique legal status as an autonomous region.

According to The Korea Times, Justice Minister Han Dong Hoon promised to push for a stricter immigration process and tighten screenings at border controls against possible illegal entries into South Korea with the possession of a K-ETA being a new necessity. The assessment of the K-ETA application may take approximately 72 hours or more depending on situations such as an increased number of K-ETA applications or the applicant’s circumstances. The K-ETA is valid for two years, with its application fee being 10,000 Korean Republic Won (KRW) per traveler; this fee is non-refundable even if the application is denied. One can apply for the K-ETA on the K-ETA website, and more information can also be found there.

Reasons Behind New Requirement

On June 1, Jeju Island reopened its borders for foreigners to travel visa-free for 30 days after a temporary suspension since February 2020 to reduce the effects of the pandemic. With visa-free entry to the island having been resumed recently, it became the bypassing entry point into Korea for foreigners with denied K-ETA applications. Presently, the number of foreigners residing illegally on Jeju Island is rising. When these undocumented residers seek jobs, it results in a loss of jobs for citizens as the illegal workers are usually more willing to work for a lower pay. Furthermore, they make use of public facilities without paying taxes, putting a strain on public utilities.

Between August 2 and August 22, 1,504 Thai nationals arrived at Jeju International Airport from Bangkok, and 56.8 percent (855 people) were denied entry under suspicion of violating immigration rules and were forced to return home, as reported by Yonhap News. Of the other 649 people who successfully entered the country for a three-day tour group program, 101 participants broke away from their tour groups and disappeared. Another instance of attempted illegal immigration involved 156 Mongolian nationals who had entered the country as a tour group and resulted in 23 of them failing to return to their home country 30 days after entering Korea, remaining beyond their authorized stay in Korea. Two of the 25 were caught illegally working on Jeju Island, and another was caught trying to board a ferry onto the mainland.

As The Korea Times reported, the situation is worsening with time, and a staggering 93 percent of Thai tourists who were refused admission by immigration at Jeju Airport in the first week of August had previously been denied entry on the K-ETA system before departure. This resulted in an increasing number of tourists being turned away with rejected K-ETA applications due to tightened border controls, and confusion arose in the aftermath of all this. Several Vietnamese tourists flying in from Singapore were denied boarding their flights for not having a visa at immigration checkpoints, despite Jeju Island having a visa-free entry for Vietnamese nationals. Consequently, the MOJ decided to impose control over foreigners seeking to take advantage of the visa-waiver program and implement the K-ETA for Jeju Island starting September 1, taking into consideration various opinions of Jeju-si, Jeju Tourism Association, and other relevant organizations.

Implementation of the K-ETA

Possible repercussions from this decision include reduced tourism and a worsened economic situation for Jeju residents, with many of them depending on the tourism industry to maintain a living. The Jeju Tourism Association claimed that during the visa-free program suspension period, the number of foreigners visiting Jeju Island plummeted from the pre-pandemic level of 1.73 million to 210,000 in 2020 and to 40,000 in 2021. According to Adjunct Professor Chun Jong Ho (Department of Geography Education), there may be a slight decrease in the number of tourists within the early stages of carrying out the K-ETA in Jeju Island, but not in the long run. He also commented that the execution of the K-ETA will be effective in controlling overtourism on Jeju Island, which may result in an improved quality of tourism. The ministry also disclosed that there had been no signs of a decline in the number of tourists due to the implementation of the ETA in countries such as the United States (U.S.), Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Maeil Business Newspaper reported that according to the MOJ, travelers can be prevented from boarding the plane or ship visa-free without obtaining K-ETA approval first, effectively preventing foreigners from illegally immigrating to South Korea. The MOJ also mentioned that if there is no reason for disqualification for an application of the K-ETA, it is automatically given approval within 30 minutes of application. Hence, applying for the K-ETA is simple and easily approved, and a significant decrease in tourists will be unlikely. Adjunct Professor Chun agreed with this view, mentioning that there will also be no major impact on real tourists who want to visit Jeju Island as they would not consider these new requirements to be a hurdle.

Overall, the K-ETA is now required for travelers from 112 countries designated as visa-waiver countries (B-1) and visa-free entry countries (B-2) in order to enter South Korea, including Jeju Island. Despite Jeju Island being a hotspot for tourists, there is no doubt that the K-ETA in Jeju Island is a policy in need of careful deliberation before implementation.