S. Korea's tourism gains, but security issues loom amid Beijing-Tokyo spat

Analysts say a prolonged Sino-Japanese row could undermine trilateral cooperation

- Wendy Teo South Korea Correspondent

South Korea appears to have emerged as a top alternative destination for Chinese travellers after Beijing urged its citizens to avoid travelling to Japan amid a deepening bilateral spat.

But there are also potential downsides when it comes to regional security, with ties among the three Northeast Asian neighbours heading towards a freeze, say analysts.

The weekend after China issued its travel advisory on Nov 14, in response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan, Chinese tourists were reassessing their holiday choices.

Citing data from one of China's largest travel platforms, Qunar, Chinese media reported a surge in ticket bookings and online searches for South Korea, with interest in other destinations such as Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam also rising.

Seeking to capitalise on diverted tourist flows, South Korea's airlines are expanding routes and increasing flights to China.

Flag carriers Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have been steadily ramping up flight frequencies to China since early November, while budget airlines such as Jeju Air and T'way are opening new routes to cities including Guilin and Wuhan.

Reuters reported on Nov 24 that Chinese cruise operators are changing routes to avoid Japanese ports.

A Chinese cruise ship that normally sails from Qingdao to South Korea's Jeju with stops in Fukuoka, Sasebo and Nagasaki has revised its December itinerary, skipping all Japanese ports and allocating more time in Jeju instead.

But while these moves may yield short-term economic gains for South Korea, analysts warn that a prolonged spat could undermine trilateral cooperation between Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul.

Already, the cracks are showing. As the current holder of the rotating chair of the trilateral mechanism, Japan had sought to convene a summit in early 2026, but its efforts were rebuffed by China, which cited the fallout from Ms Takaichi's remarks.