China bans tourism to South Korea over THAAD antimissile system deployment

Underlining the possibility of even wider Chinese retaliation, Beijing travel agencies said Friday they could no longer arrange trips to South Korea after Yonhap news agency reported the order was handed down by Chinese authorities.

But tour operators contacted by AFP confirmed the suspension of trips to South Korea, after Yonhap news agency Thursday reported that China’s tourism administration had issued a verbal directive on the issue.

Last year, 8.06 million Chinese tourists visited South Korea, spending an average of $2,391 per person.

Lee Jae-dong, vice chief of the association to oppose the THAAD, composed of Seongju residents, said at the rally that senior South Korean government officials, whom he called as criminals, hurriedly sought to install THAAD in their homeland to help protect the United States and Japan.

South Korea’s foreign ministry said in a statement it was checking the media reports on a Chinese ban to sell travel programs. Chinese tourists account for more than 70 percent of revenues in Lotte duty-free shops. It’s something the new US administration will have to keep in mind, with a Communist Party newspaper floating the prospect of “tit for tat” retaliation should President Donald Trump start a trade war with China.

Chicago Tribune has reported that China, despite its apparent cooperation of late with worldwide efforts to sanction North Korea, China has instead served as Pyongyang’s economic lifeline, purchasing the vast majority of its coal, gold, and iron ore.

“Instead of chasing shadows that don’t exist, we hope the South Korean side will heed the voice of the people and take concrete actions to avoid causing further damage to bilateral relations”, said Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lotte also operates Korea’s second-largest cinema chain, and has 11 multiplexes, with 90 screens, in China.

The signing advanced the deployment date, which South Korean media outlets estimated sometime between May and July. Photos on social media and local news websites showed crowds vandalizing a Hyundai Motor Co vehicle, and some Chinese tourism firms moved to cancel Korean tours. Influential state-run Chinese tabloid the Global Times said that Lotte should be shown the door in China.

In what appears to be a coordinated attack on South Korean products, social media and local news websites showed crowds vandalizing a Korean-made Hyundai auto.

The CNTA has warned Chinese tourists on its official website to take caution when traveling to South Korean destinations during the month of March as the country’s tourism industry prepares for the worst, according to Shanghaiist. In comparison, the $66 billion of exports that South Korea makes to the United States is equal to about 5% of South Korea’s GDP and 13% of exports.

Because of this, ministers in Russian Federation said they needed to back China.

China has intensified a crackdown so-called zero-dollar tours to Korea, where big tour groups are herded through the country for little money but heavily pushed into shopping.