CNN
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South Korea will quickly launch a brand new visa for overseas nationals who dream of coaching like a Okay-pop idol, in a bid to spice up its tourism business again to pre-pandemic ranges.
The “Okay-Tradition Coaching Visa” will likely be open to foreigners who need to practice in Okay-pop dancing, choreography and modeling, the finance ministry introduced on Monday.
Candidates don’t essentially must audition or have a callback supply from a expertise company – not less than not but – as extra particulars are anticipated to come back out later this year.
The surge in curiosity towards all issues Korean has prompted many overseas followers to journey to South Korea and even learn the language, with some forking out on full-on pilgrimages to go to the filming areas of Okay-pop music movies and Okay-dramas.
Seoul now goals to make use of its tradition’s reputation as a tourism draw for extra folks worldwide, presumably easing boundaries for vacationers from Southeast Asia. Final yr, vacationers from nations like Thailand and the Philippines made up greater than a fifth of complete guests to South Korea, in line with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), regardless of generally prolonged visa necessities.
The rise of South Korean cultural exports for the reason that Nineteen Nineties, dubbed the Hallyu Wave or Okay-wave, has exploded within the final decade, with super-groups like BTS and Blackpink breaking although worldwide music charts and Korean drama collection gaining popularity on streaming platforms.
Okay-pop is already the most-cited purpose for visiting the nation, in line with the MCST, with notably robust curiosity from abroad followers from Southeast Asia, Europe and the US.
Korean celebrities have been closely featured journey ads with Emmy-winning “Squid Sport” actor Lee Jung-jae changing into the honorary tourism ambassador for the nation, whereas flagship service Korean Air even collaborated with boy band SuperM for its in-flight safety video in 2019.
However whereas the nationalities of these coming into the nation have gotten extra numerous, tourism has been gradual to recuperate to its pre-pandemic ranges, in line with the finance ministry.
Final yr, round 11 million folks visited the nation – a slight enhance from the yr prior however far fewer than in 2019, when greater than 17.5 million vacationers visited, in line with authorities information.
Tourism income additionally continued to fall quick, producing $15.1 billion in 2023, 25% lower than the $20 billion seen in 2019. The ministry mentioned the gradual restoration was resulting from shifting spending from purchasing to cultural experiences.
South Korea has additionally made it simpler for digital nomads to remain and work within the nation, implementing its “workation” visa at first of this yr. The federal government is contemplating to develop the scheme in order that distant staff may also take pleasure in tourism whereas working within the nation.
Whereas the newest bulletins are a crucial step in direction of additional opening up South Korea to worldwide staff, some specialists consider these visas might ultimately enhance the workforce and ease its demographic disaster in a rustic that has the lowest fertility rate worldwide.