The government’s plan to open foreigners-only duty-free shops across the nation was aborted in the face of opposition from a government regulation committee, officials said on Friday.

The committee expressed opposition to the plan based on the potential for discrimination against Korean nationals and concerns about future earnings.

The Korea Customs Service had pushed for the project designed to serve foreigners in cities instead of at airports or harbors, for the convenience of the rising number of tourists in Seoul. The plan was reported to a presidential committee to boost national competitiveness in August.

Instead, the KCS said that it will allow more small and medium-sized companies to open duty-free shops in the city, though they will not be open exclusively to foreigners. 

(claire@heraldcorp.com)