South Korea will introduce new types of visas. Yes, there will be a Workcation visa - a visa for "digital nomads" and a K-culture visa for those who want to study Korean culture. Learn more about why the country is introducing new types of visas and for whom they will be available
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In 2023, South Korea plans to introduce two new visas: Workcation visa and K-culture visa. These visas are supposed to attract foreign travelers and help rebuild the tourism system in the country, which has been badly affected by the COVID-19 epidemic.
What are these visas? What are the advantages? But who can be useful? Details in this article.
Prerequisites for the introduction of new types of visas in South Korea
To revive South Korea's pandemic-hit tourism industry, the country's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and relevant government agencies have developed a tourism development plan for the next 5 years (from 2023 to 2027).
The main goal of the program is to attract 30 million tourists every year and earn three billion dollars in tourism revenue by 2027. It is in order to achieve this ambitious goal that the Korean government has announced that it will issue the K-culture study visa and the Workcation visa for foreign nationals seeking to explore Korean culture.
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Workcation visa in South Korea
The name "Workcation" consists of a combination of two words: "work" and "vacation", that is, in fact, this visa will be an analogue of the "digital nomad visa". It is planned that, on the basis of the permit, a foreigner will be able to stay in the country for up to 2 years, work for his company remotely and simultaneously explore the culture of South Korea. The details of the implementation of the new visa have also not yet been determined. However, it is known that the visa is planned to be launched in the second half of 2023.
In general, more and more countries in the world are introducing the "digital nomad visa" every year. Digital Nomads or "digital nomads" are people who do not depend on a physical place of work and combine their activities with constant movements around the world. For their part, many countries are trying to create the most attractive conditions for such workers: they offer simplified taxation systems, affordable housing, travel opportunities, etc.
The direction received a new impetus during the coronavirus pandemic, which showed that many tasks can be performed from anywhere, it is not necessary to come to the office every morning. All you need is a laptop, phone and internet.
Visa for studying South Korean culture K-culture visa
The K-culture visa is aimed at young people who are interested in Korean culture and want to learn more about the entertainment industry in Korea and methods of content creation. Details are still being worked out, but it is now known that the visa is aimed at attracting fans of Korean films, music, TV series and entertainment and capitalizing on the ever-growing global popularity of South Korean culture.
The only condition that the authorities are already talking about is that before applying for a visa, a foreigner must complete an educational or training program in the K-content industry, for example, in a K-pop entertainment agency. It is planned to start issuing new entry permits in the first half of 2023.
The new Korean visa will be created to make it easier for foreigners to directly get to know the country's famous K-pop entertainment industry. In recent years, interest in Korean culture has been growing all over the world. This is evidenced by the popularity of TV series such as Netflix's The Squid Game, Oscar-winning films such as Parasite, and world-famous K-pop groups such as BTS. Many people around the world are learning the Korean language and want to learn more about Korean society and culture in general. Even now, fans of Korean pop culture are looking forward to the K-culture visa, because it is a unique opportunity to learn more about the well-known entertainment industry.
The South Korean government has also declared 2023 and 2024 as "Visit Korea Years". Hundreds of K-culture events are planned for this period: concerts featuring K-pop stars, K-Pop Concert in Incheon (INK), One-Asia Festival and the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon-do.
You can find out about the methods of obtaining a permit and the necessary documents for moving to South Korea for permanent residence
here.