The Korean Mission in Taipei has expressed willingness to propose a solution acceptable to Taiwan regarding South Korea’s e-arrival system listing Taiwan as “China (Taiwan),” sources said, after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced countermeasures this month.
South Korea introduced a new online immigration entry system on Feb. 24 last year, listing Taiwan as “China (Taiwan).”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday last week said that South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates have since March 1 been identified as from “South Korea,” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the country's official name.
Photo: Screen grab from e-arrivalcard.go.kr
It would further change South Korea's designation on its online immigration system to "Korea (South)" if Seoul continues to ignore Taipei's repeated requests to correct its labeling of Taiwan by the end of this month, the ministry said.
The ministry and Taiwan's representative office in South Korea have been raising serious concerns with Seoul over the issue, Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Director-General Michael Lin (林昭宏) told a news conference today.
Taiwan has publicly urged South Korea to respond by the end of the month, otherwise Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation under “place of birth” and “next destination” to “Korea (South)” on its e-arrival system from Wednesday next week, Lin said.
The Korean Mission in Taipei has indicated it would propose a solution Taiwan could accept, people familiar with the matter said.
Taiwan and South Korea have long maintained close and friendly exchanges in trade, culture and tourism, Lin said.
Taiwan values the relationship and hopes that the South Korean government can make the correction as soon as possible so that the two countries can continue developing their friendship, he said.
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