(Original title: "Detrimental to national character"! Lee Jae-myung ordered the eradication of anti-China rallies)

The Network of Observers.

South Korea's temporary entry visa-free policy for Chinese group tourists came into effect this week, aiming at improving Sino-Korean relations and revitalizing South Korea's tourism industry. According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung instructed government departments to take measures to crack down on anti-China rallies on the 2nd. Li Zaiming stressed that "behaviors that lack cultural literacy, are inferior and detrimental to national character" must not be allowed.

A spokesman for the Embassy of China in South Korea said on the 2nd that some extreme right forces in South Korea plan to hold anti-China demonstrations in Seoul on the 3rd. They chose to do so on the happy days when the China people celebrate the National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival. They have ulterior motives and are unpopular. The China Embassy has solemnly demanded that South Korea effectively protect the personal safety and legitimate rights and interests of China citizens in South Korea.

On October 2, at the Presidential Palace in Yongsan, Seoul, Lee Jae-myung presided over a video screenshot of the meeting of chief assistant officers

In the presiding session of the South Korean presidential palace on Monday, Li said that after South Korea's visa-free trial for Chinese groups of tourists, Seoul's Minghua commercial streets regained vitality, and the influx of tourists is expected to promote domestic consumption in South Korea and help the economic recovery, "How can we let go of hatred, insult and outrage when we should thank, encourage and welcome tourists?"

Li Zai-ming pointed out that attracting China tourists will help South Korea's economic recovery, and behaviors that harm South Korea's interests and image must be eradicated.

"A tourist may spend millions of won. If another 10 million tourists are added, the effect will be comparable to huge exports. But if you are abused for no reason, who wants to come to South Korea for sightseeing and spending?" Lee Jae-myung said, "Rumors and hate speech against specific countries and their people are spreading, and xenophobic gatherings are still going on. These extremely harmful self-harm behaviors that harm our national interests and image must be completely eliminated."

He instructed relevant South Korean government departments to combat acts that threaten the safety of foreign tourists and formulate measures to eradicate exclusion as soon as possible.The agency noted that the instructions given by Lee in Ming were likely aimed at recent anti-Chinese rallies in South Korea.

South Korean Trade Association.

The South Korean government will proceed with a visa-free policy for Chinese group tourists from September 29 until June 30 next year. During the visa-free policy trial, Chinese group tourists from three or more persons will be visa-free to enter South Korea and stay for 15 days.

South Korea officials expect that the policy will attract about 1 million additional tourists, injecting urgently needed funds into South Korea's troubled tourism and retail industry.The Associated Press noted that with the arrival of China's National Day holiday, visa-free policy is expected to attract more Chinese tourists than in the previous year, and South Korea's tourism and retail industry generally expects to see a spike in consumption.

Data from the Korea Tourism Development Agency shows that 1.73 million foreign tourists visited South Korea in July, of which China tourists accounted for the highest proportion, reaching 34.7%, with a total of 602,147, a year-on-year increase of 31.2%.

However, while the South Korean government tried the visa-free policy, some forces in South Korea took the opportunity to incite anti-China sentiment in order to seek political interests. Kim Moon-soo, a member of the Korean National Power Party, claimed that the visa-free policy was "a dangerous bet that risked public safety". He further played up anti-China rhetoric at a party conference this week, warning that the policy could lead to "criminal group infiltration and the spread of infectious diseases."

Other members of the National Power Party have joined his argument, calling for a delay in the implementation of the policy. They claim: ¡°Today, with hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists expected to flow to South Korea, public anxiety and fear will inevitably increase.¡±

Recently, anti-Chinese rallies have also occurred in Seoul and other places in South Korea, with some demonstrators waving banners, shouting anti-Chinese slogans, and even harassing and insulting Chinese tourists in tourists gathering in areas such as Minghua.

For months, South Korean protesters have frequently held anti-China rallies holding the U.S. flag.

South Korea¡¯s ruling Communist Party (CDC) lawmakers vehemently criticized such remarks inciting anti-China sentiment, and Communist Party lawmakers Li Yuan Zhou said at an internal party meeting: ¡°The Chinese citizens¡¯ visa-free policy was decided during the Yongxi government, aimed at revitalizing tourism and boosting the domestic economy. The absurd remarks against the party lawmakers are too excessive and disappointing.¡±

Gao Shanting, a member of the Common Democratic Party, bombarded members of the National Power Party as "delusional far-right elements". She warned: "The xenophobic remarks of politicians of the National Power Party are dragging South Korea into the quagmire of hatred and becoming a hotbed for the spread of far-right extremism."

South Korean scholars point out that mainstream South Korean politicians must draw a clear line from extreme speech and South Korea needs to maintain relations with China. Zhang Yongshi, a senior researcher at the Institute for Unified Peace at Seoul National University, said: "We cannot lose China. From an economic and security perspective, China is too important to us."

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said on September 19th that if necessary, he would take strong measures to deal with individual anti-China gatherings according to relevant laws. At the same time, he stressed that on the premise of ensuring public safety, it is necessary to avoid causing inconvenience and panic to merchants, residents and Chinese citizens in Korea.

According to the news of the Chinese Embassy in South Korea, on October 2, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in South Korea expressed a rigorous stance on the anti-China demonstrations held by minority forces in South Korea.

The spokesman said that China regrets to note that some South Korean politicians have spread false information, and some extreme right groups have held demonstrations against China from time to time in Myeongdong, Dalin Dong and other places in Seoul, where China tourists are concentrated. Both China and South Korea clearly oppose this. It is understood that individual extreme right forces in South Korea plan to hold anti-China demonstrations in central Seoul tomorrow (October 3). They chose to do so on the happy days when the China people celebrate the National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the South Korean people celebrate the opening of the sky and the Mid-Autumn Festival. They have ulterior motives and are unpopular.

The spokesman said that the Chinese Embassy in particular once again reminded Chinese tourists who intend to come to South Korea to be highly vigilant and pay attention to personal safety.We also strictly demand that South Korea effectively safeguard the personal safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens in South Korea.

The spokesman pointed out that recently, high-level officials of the South Korean government and people of insight from all walks of life clearly pointed out that the anti-China words and deeds of a few forces damaged the national image and interests of South Korea, and demanded a solemn response. We believe that with the joint efforts of all walks of life in China and South Korea, the strategic cooperative partnership between China and South Korea will surely develop positively, and the plot of a few political forces will not succeed.