To facilitate international travel and support high-quality development and greater openness, China has expanded its unilateral visa-free access to more countries. From November 8, 2024, to December 31, 2025, ordinary passport holders from nine countries—Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, and South Korea—can enter China visa-free for stays of up to 15 days for business, tourism, family visits, or transit. 17 South Korean passengers arrived at Qingdao Airport on flight QW9902 in the early hours of November 8, becoming the first travelers to benefit from the new visa-free policy. Among them was Im Jin-ye, a tourist who became the first official recipient of visa-free entry at Qingdao. "Traveling to China is now much more convenient. I believe this new policy will greatly promote trade and cultural exchanges between South Korea and China," Im Jin-ye remarked.

China's new visa-free policy for South Korean citizens has created unprecedented opportunities for tourism and exchange between China and South Korea. Qingdao Airport, known as a "gateway" for travel between China, Japan, and South Korea, has enhanced the convenience of its flights to South Korea by establishing a “public bus-like” frequency model to make travel even easier. The airport currently offers 32 daily flights to South Korea operated by multiple airlines including Shandong Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Qingdao Airlines, Air Busan, and Korean Air with flights scheduled throughout the day to enable travelers the ease of finding suitable departure time any time, any day. Among these flights to South Korea, 29 of them link Qingdao to Seoul, 2 to Busan, with 6 to Jeju weekly. Ranking first among Chinese airports for flights to Seoul, Qingdao Airport is dubbed the "Seoul Flight Line" for its frequent and flexible flight options. Qingdao Airport's high-frequency schedule supports a wide range of travel needs—whether for business, family visits, or tourism—offering travelers from both countries an easier way to connect.

The number of foreign nationals entering China via Qingdao Airport has steadily risen since the beginning of this year. Data by the Qingdao Airport border control station shows that over 290,000 foreign passengers have been processed so far, with visa-free and transit visa-free entries accounting for 8% of this total. Flights between Qingdao and South Korea from January 1 to October 31 alone reached 9,858, carrying approximately 1.273 million passengers—an increase of 87% in flights and 109% in passengers year-over-year.

In addition to frequent flights and convenient transfers, recent airfare reductions have made travel more appealing. Through late November, ticket prices from Qingdao to Seoul start as low as 380 RMB (about $52) with taxes, while Seoul-to-Qingdao fares begin at 267 RMB (around $37). Final prices will be confirmed upon inquiry. This has drawn a surge of South Korean and Chinese travelers to use Qingdao as a transit hub. Since the start of the winter season on October 27, the number of flights on Qingdao's "Seoul Express" route has increased by 10% year-over-year, with passenger volume up by 47%.

A Qingdao Airport representative stated that the airport will continue to enhance services for flights to South Korea to provide passengers with a safer, more comfortable, and more efficient travel experience.