K-drama, K-pop, K-beauty, K-cuisine… It’s 2022, and Korean pop culture continues to prove its global power. Most recently, South Korea revealed its plans to initiate a Hallyu visa program this year.
An ode to the sweeping force of the Korean wave, the Hallyu visa aims to “draw global talent” and encourage travellers to learn more about Korean culture. The program will allow foreigners enrolled in entertainment-related education to stay in South Korea for more than 90 days.
“The Justice Ministry has been pushing for the Hallyu visa program on the back of soaring demand for education on Korea’s cultural content,” a senior government official told The Korea Herald. With this, the government hopes “to add further momentum to the Korean Wave and support the pandemic-hit local culture and music industry.”
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Furthermore, Yunhap News reveals that the program seeks to “increase the competitiveness of Hallyu content on the international stage by comprehensively granting visas to ‘cultural students’ who stay in Korea for domestic entertainment activities or come to study in Korea to learn the advanced systems of famous Korean entertainment agencies.”
As of now, we’re still waiting for further developments about the said program. Details including the maximum length of stay and age requirements will be announced in the first half of 2022.
Also read: South Korea Welcomes A New Hallyu Era
Hallyu visa for Philippine passport holders
Home to a vast number of Hallyu fanatics, the Philippines is one of the countries most excited about the Hallyu visa. However, the South Korean Embassy in the Philippines revealed that the implementation of the visa would mainly depend on the national pandemic situation.
“The Philippines has been designated by the Korean government as one of the countries subject to quarantine reinforcement since April 2020, so the issuance of visas for entering Korea is restricted,” the embassy official explained. “Demand for the Hallyu (visa) will depend on the virus situation.”
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The Hallyu visa seems like an excellent opportunity for those seeking to work in the Korean entertainment industry or study Korean culture. Aspiring international students and foreign creators anticipate learning more about Korean culture from the country itself.
What do you think about this upcoming program? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
