China’s visa-free policy opened the doors. Naver and Instagram showed them where to go. Now, South Korean tourists are flocking to a handful of Shanghai restaurants, and businesses are scrambling to keep up.

South Korean tourists visit the Site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea at the Xintiandi business district in Shanghai, China,4, 2025.

Shanghai has recently seen a spike in international visits as the nation extended its visa-free policies for nine more countries, including South Korea, in November.

South Korea, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. The letters read “The Seoul Western District Court.” (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Police officers stand guard as supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol try to enter the Seoul Western District Court ...

As political changes loom, South Korea’s leadership crisis could affect ties with China, Japan and the US, observers say.

South Korea's acting president Choi Sang-mok said on Tuesday he hoped for bilateral relations with Washington to develop more reciprocally under the Trump administration, citing concerns about how U.S.