To encourage more Chinese to visit the country, South Korea's Ministry of Justice has announced that it will reduce the number of documents that Chinese tourists need to submit for visa applications.

According to the new rules, Chinese citizens now only need to submit credit card statements for the last six months or a copy of an active bank account, and proof of ownership of either a vehicle or real estate or certificate of income. Owners of exclusive credit cards, such as gold or platinum cards, only need to submit credit card statements from the last six months.

Before this, visa applicants had to present as many as seven documents for the tourist visa, including credit card statements, a resume, employment certificate, and certificate of real estate and vehicle ownership.

In 2008, about 4.6 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, of which 417,000 were Chinese, ranking in third place following Japan (2.3 million) and the USA (430,000).

(China Hospitality News July 7, 2009)