The government will extend by a year the existing exemptions to the visa-free Korea Electronic Travel Authorization(K-ETA) requirement for travelers from the United States and dozens of other countries.

The justice ministry announced the one-year extension until December 31, 2025, on its website on Wednesday.

Earlier, the ministry announced the temporary exemption would be valid through December 31, 2024, marking the end of the 2023-2024 Visit Korea Year program.

The ministry currently does not specify which countries are subject to the exemption, apparently in consideration of diplomatic issues.

An industry representative, however, said 22 countries including the U.S. were eligible as of March 2023, with the number having increased since.