The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status.
South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country.
The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next destination.”
Photo: screen grab from South Korea’s e-Arrival card system
The ministry said it has repeatedly asked Seoul to fix the “wrongful” listing since the system’s launch, but has yet to receive a positive response.
Calling the situation “deeply regrettable,” it reiterated that the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and urged the South Korean government to make the correction as soon as possible to avoid harming bilateral ties, especially given the close people-to-people exchanges between the two sides.
Taiwan and South Korea recorded 2.47 million two-way visits last year, including 1.4 million trips made by Taiwanese travelers, government data showed.
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