People walk past the Oriental Pearl Tower at the financial district of Lujiazui in Shanghai, March 5. AFP-Yonhap
A new wave of South Korean content creators is descending on Chinese cities, cameras in hand, transforming the streets of Shanghai, Shenzhen and beyond into lively backdrops for travel vlogs and lifestyle videos.
Dubbed the “Korean v-blogger influx” by some online users, their ranks have swelled since China extended its unilateral visa-free policy for South Korean passport holders for another year, allowing stays of up to 30 days for tourism, business and family visits.
Introduced in 2024 and extended in November last year, the measure has lowered a major barrier for short-term travellers and creators from South Korea.
And thanks to the two countries’ geographical proximity and warmer diplomatic relations of late, the friendlier visa rules have contributed to a noticeable boom in people-to-people exchanges.
According to official figures, about 3.16 million South Korean visitors travelled to China in 2025, up 36.9 per cent from 2024 and the highest growth rate among major outbound destinations for South Koreans.
In January alone, more than 300,000 South Korean visitors entered China – up 48 per cent year on year, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Justice.
Popular destinations include Shanghai for its cosmopolitan vibe and shopping, Shenzhen for its technological advances and entrepreneurial energy, and interior places like Chengdu and Zhangjiajie for their cultural and natural attractions.
Some vloggers have documented everything from street food adventures and local interactions to the vast scale of the country’s infrastructure, often highlighting surprising similarities or intriguing differences in daily life.
He also filmed a ride in a driverless electric taxi and came away impressed by the city’s tech advances. He noted how its taxi fleet, once dominated by Hyundai models, had largely shifted to Chinese brands such as BYD.
Source: Korea Times News
