Passenger travel between Korea and China is only at 13% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. In the first four months of 2023, the number of passengers on the Korea-China routes was 730,817, a significant drop from the 5.65 million passengers during the same period in 2019. This is in contrast to the recovery seen in other Asian routes, where the number of passengers is gradually returning to pre-COVID-19 levels.
In comparison, passenger travel on the Korea-Japan routes has recovered to 71.8% of pre-pandemic levels. The routes to Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines have also shown positive recovery, with passenger numbers at 82.2%, 82.9%, and 71.4% respectively. Passenger travel to Mongolia and Singapore has even exceeded pre-pandemic levels, reaching 136.4% and 138% respectively.
One reason for the slower recovery in Korea-China routes could be the exclusion of Korea from the list of 60 countries approved by Chinese authorities as destinations for group tour packages for Chinese people. This limits the number of Chinese tourists who can visit Korea and reduces the demand for passenger travel on these routes.
Overall, while passenger travel between Korea and China remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, other Asian routes are showing signs of recovery. The disparity may be attributed to various factors, including travel restrictions and the current perception of safety and convenience among travelers.