South Korea will allow a special no-visa entry for Chinese travelers visiting the country around the time of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics set to open in February next year.
 
The Justice Ministry said on Thursday that any Chinese traveler who fit the required criteria will be eligible for a 15-day stay in South Korea without a visa, starting December first through the end of March next year.
 
The no-visa entry will be applied to Chinese citizens with records of arrival in and departure from South Korea with a legal visa issued by Korean authorities in the last five years. The applicant also needs to have a ticket to the Olympic Games, purchased through designated Chinese travel agencies.
 
The ministry said that no-visa entry will be denied if the applicant is either convicted of a crime in violation of South Korean laws, or holds an extradition record or a history of illegal stay. 
 
It's the first time for the government to apply this special visa waiver for an international sporting event. 
 
The Justice Ministry will also allow individual Chinese tourists on cruise ships to land for sightseeing next year. Currently, the move is only applied to cruise ship tourists on group tours. 
 
In addition, the ministry extended the length of stay for cruises entering the ports of Donghae and Sokcho during the Winter Games to five days from the current three days.