A Chinese embassy official in South Korea has publicly criticized South Korean media for portraying Chinese tourists as the key growth engine for Korea’s foreign-only casino industry, calling the practice deeply objectionable.
South Korean outlets and brokerages have repeatedly argued this year that Chinese visitors have again become the most important growth driver for casinos in Korea reserved for foreign nationals. Shinhan Securities reportedly noted that future profits for Korea’s three major foreign-only casino operators depend heavily on increases in Chinese tourist numbers, with analysts suggesting that further easing of visa-free policies for Chinese travelers could serve as a new growth catalyst. Data cited in the report showed roughly 2.56 million Chinese tourists visited Korea between January and May this year, a year-on-year increase of about 25 percent.
In response, Tang Liang, an official at the Chinese embassy in Seoul, published a signed article in the Korea Times titled “Do Not Do Unto Others What You Would Not Have Them Do Unto You.” The article stressed that Chinese law enforces “zero tolerance” toward gambling, and that Chinese citizens who gamble abroad are also violating the law. It criticized casinos for specifically targeting Chinese tourists for recruitment and accused some media of glorifying this as an “economic growth driver.” The piece noted that Korean law itself bars most Korean citizens from entering casinos, showing Seoul is well aware of gambling’s social harms. China said it would step up efforts to educate its citizens against gambling abroad, and urged South Korea to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities and curb casino solicitation of Chinese tourists for the sake of bilateral relations.
Since September 2025, South Korea has piloted visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups of three or more, later extended through the end of 2026, and from March 2026 began offering five-year multiple-entry visas to Chinese citizens with prior visit history.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), August 4, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202608040150.aspx