Korea aims to nurture more foreign K-pop trainees with special visa program

By Park Ung Posted : June 19, 2024, 13:47 Updated : June 19, 2024, 13:51
서울연합뉴스 서대연 기자  코리아 인바이트 유 행사 초청객들이 21일 오후 서울 성동구 원밀리언 댄스 스튜디오에서 K-팝 댄스 클래스를 수강하고 있다
Foreigners learn how to dance at a K-pop event in Seoul on May 21, 2024. Yonhap
SEOUL, June 19 (AJU PRESS) - Foreigners aspiring to be K-pop stars are expected to benefit from a special visa program that allows them to stay in Korea for a longer period of time. This is part of plans, announced by the Ministry of Economy and Finance early this week, to attract more tourists from overseas and boost tourism.

Currently, K-pop trainees under contracts with major talent mills can obtain an E-6 visa, enabling them to stay for up to two years, while those without are limited to a maximum stay of 90 days.

But foreign K-pop wannabes may soon be eligible to apply for a training visa on a trial basis, provided they take part in training programs to learn K-pop songs and choreography. The visa would allow them to stay in Korea for an extended period.

Detailed guidelines including eligibility criteria for the visa will be finalized within the second half of this year.

Meanwhile, the number of foreign tourists to Korea stood at 4.87 million in the first four months of this year, seeing a 90-percent recovery compared to the same period in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic.

In a bid to further promote tourism, the government is coming up with a series of plans, such as devising various tour packages, simplifying entry procedures for foreign travelers, and enhancing travel conveniences for them.
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