Hallyu visa: All about South Korea's new travel program

South Korea has announced Hallyu visa in an effort to attract international visitors. The global wave of Korean culture has amassed millions of fans, and the visa targets Korean entertainment fans who wish to experience the culture for themselves.

As reported by The Korea Herald:

“The Justice Ministry has been pushing for the Hallyu visa program on the back of soaring demand for education on Korea’s cultural content, to add further momentum to the Korean Wave and support the pandemic-hit local culture and music industry.”

The only known eligibility criteria for the visa is that you must stay in Korea for no longer than 90 days and be enrolled in an entertainment-related education program. No further information is available as of now, but more details are expected to be confirmed during the first half of 2022.

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How is the Hallyu Visa being recieved by fans?

Fans trying to catch a glimpse of K-pop band EXO (Image via Getty Images)

The news quickly became a trending topic as it came as a shock to everyone.

Anna, a 27-year-old YouTuber from Prague, had come to Korea as an exchange student at Hankuk University. She spoke about her own experiences, and the difficulties she experienced in attaining an E-6 visa owing to its strict requirements. She also added:

"Many go to Korea for working holidays or language exchange programs. So this venture will enable more foreigners interested in Korea to study and live there.”

The new visa will be especially helpful for international students currently in Korea, who are hopeful that it will bring forth new opportunities for them.

Singh, 31, another international student at Yonsei University’s graduate school of international studies, commented on the prospects of foreign influencers who would be more enticed about creating content about Korea.

Fans all over the world are clearly excited about the opportunity. The Korean foreign ministry has been working on bridging the gap between Korean culture and its fans from around the world.

Over the years, they have introduced many programs, such as the K-Influencer program, the Honorary Reporters program, and the formation of the Korea Federation of Content Creators (KFCC), which was launched to support the creation and export of Hallyu content in 2021.