The Consulate General of China in Jeju opened last Saturday to deal with various affairs concerning Chinese people visiting the island.
The consulate is the fourth Chinese diplomatic office in Korea, following the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and consulates general in Busan and Gwangju.
The office is expected to assist Chinese investors carry out investment work more easily and safely while directly addressing complaints such as entry denial or illegal residency of Chinese people in Jeju.
Byon Jong-il, chairman of JDC
Officials of China and Korea applaud at the opening ceremony of the Consulate General of China in Jeju at Shilla Jeju hotel on Saturday. The attendants include: (from far left) Bang Moon-choo, vice head of Jeju Council; Woo Keun-min, Jeju governor; Kim Sung-han, deputy minister of foreign affairs and trade; Meng Jianzhu, Chinese minister of public security; Zhang Xinsen, Chinese ambassador to Korea; Xie Hangsheng, Chinese vice foreign minister; and Jang Shin, consul general of China. (Yonhap News)
“Jeju is one of the most popular tourist spots for the Chinese. Opening the consulate office in Jeju reflects China’s deep interest in Jeju,” Jang Shin, Consul General of China in Jeju, said. “I would like to take a lead in introducing Jeju and its unmatched natural beauty to China.”
Jeju International City Development Center, which heads a line of projects to develop Jeju as an international free city like Hong Kong and Singapore, said the launch of the office reflects the growing ties between the special self-governing province and China.
The number of Chinese tourists has shown a 1,000 percent increase over the past decade. The number marked 57,200 in 2000 and jumped to 570,200 in 2011. In the first half of 2012, 396,000 Chinese people came to Jeju, accounting for 59 percent of the 668,000 overseas visitors to Jeju.
“I hope that the opening of the Consulate General of China in Jeju will be an opportunity for Jeju to come closer to its goal of becoming an international free city,” said Byon Jong-il, chairman of JDC.
“I also hope that the office will be a great help, in particular, to our publicity and marketing activities in attracting Chinese students to Branksome Hall Asia in the Jeju Global Education City, which is scheduled to open this October.”
In order to increase the number of visitors, a new system granting visa waivers for Chinese visitors to Jeju via Incheon International Airport will come into effect from August 1. The government will also issue green cards to foreign nationals who purchase more than $500,000 worth of resort facilities in Jeju and remain there for more than five years. According to the JDC, one Chinese investor was recently granted permanent residency under the program.
By Bae Ji-sook (
baejisook@heraldcorp.com)