They are one of the largest groups of Chinese to have visited South Korea since the Beijing government banned the sale of group tour packages in 2017, though this restriction has been partially lifted.

   China claims the US missile defense system could hurt its security interests. Seoul and Washington have dismissed such concerns, saying the US missile shield is defensive in nature and focuses on North Korea's missile activities.

   In November last year, Seoul and Beijing agreed to put their bilateral ties back on track, and in a summit a month later, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed to make efforts to improve bilateral relations.

   Industry watchers predict the number of Chinese visitors will return to its normal level only if the Beijing government lifts other restrictive measures, such as the ban on chartered planes to South Korea.

   The number of Chinese nationals who visited South Korea stood at 4.16 million last year, down a sharp 48.3 percent from 8 million tallied the previous year. Nearly half of the 17 million foreigners who visited South Korea in 2016 were Chinese. (Yonhap)