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Olympic Visitors Will be Given Extended South Korea Visa

South Korea hopes Olympic fans will give tourism  a boost in the country.
South Korea hopes Olympic fans will give tourism  a boost in the country.

Foreign visitors to South Korea for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics will be given the option to extend their stay in the country.

The ministry of justice in the East Asian nation said today that tourists would be able to stay for some extra 30 days if they acquire a special permit, Insidethegames.biz wrote.

Under the current rules, foreigners on short-term stays, or those who have travelled without a visa, can stay in South Korea for 90 days, with the permit making 120-day stay possible.

To apply, visitors must go to an immigration office and submit required documents including tickets for the Olympic and Paralympics.

It is hoped the move will give tourism in South Korea a boost by encouraging people to stay in the country after the games are over.

The move could also help boost ticket sales for the games. “Foreigners on a short-term permit or on a no-visa program are expected to be the main applicants,” a justice ministry official told the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

South Korea has already moved to relax its visa rules before the Olympics and Paralympics in February and March.

Last November, it was announced that special visa-free entry would be given to Chinese visitors. It followed a similar move for people from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The Winter Olympics will take place in Pyeongchang, February 9-25 with the Paralympics slated for March 8-18.

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