South Korea’s visa-free scheme for Chinese tour groups weaponised by conservatives
Political parties clash over ‘xenophobic’ remarks from lawmakers who are seen to be out to undermine the Lee administration
The launch of the programme on Monday drew sharp criticism from members of the conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP), who raised alarm over security and public safety.
Lee Dong-gyu, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, argued that far-right politicians were leveraging the tourism initiative to stir hostility against the Lee administration, which has sought to repair ties with Beijing.
“Some conservative politicians are using this as a chance to fuel anti-China sentiment and mount attacks on the Lee government,” he told This Week in Asia.
Jeong Hoi-ok, a political-science professor at Myongji University, said it was “quite disconcerting” that extremist and xenophobic rhetoric had become normalised among some conservative figures.