Starting from the 31st, the entry examination procedure for foreign nationals visiting Korea at Incheon International Airport will be significantly simplified. This aims to reduce the waiting time, which was more than 10 times longer than that of domestic citizens, thereby improving the international business environment.
On the 26th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Justice announced that a dedicated entry examination booth will be operated at Incheon Airport for foreign corporations recommended by economic organizations. The government plans to assess whether to expand the trial implementation by December. This improvement in the system reflects suggestions made during a meeting hosted by the president with economic organizations and business leaders on June 13.
Currently, the entry examination time for domestic citizens is an average of 2 minutes for automatic immigration examination and 5 minutes for manual examination. In contrast, foreign nationals typically use the manual examination, taking an average of 24 to 35 minutes, with some cases exceeding 90 minutes. The government expects this measure to significantly reduce the waiting time for foreign corporations.
The recommended candidates will be selected by six economic organizations, including the Federation of Korean Industries, the Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea (FOMEK), the Korea Enterprises Federation, the Korea International Trade Association, the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea. They will be able to enter swiftly through a separate entry examination.
The government plans to review ways to expand the system to other airports, including Gimpo and Gimhae, based on the results of the pilot operation at Incheon Airport. In the long term, it will also promote system improvements to enable general foreign nationals to use automated entry examination.
Minister Jeong Seong-ho noted, "Through the improvement of the entry examination for foreign corporations, we will support the formation of global networks for domestic corporations and contribute to attracting investment." Minister Kim Yoon-deok also stated, "I hope this measure will facilitate exchanges between domestic corporations and foreign investors and lead to the revitalization of the national economy."