Taipei: Taiwan plans to review its relations with South Korea, especially its substantial bilateral trade deficit, as Seoul has yet to correct its reference to Taiwan as being a part of China on its newly launched e-Arrival card system despite protests from Taipei. "We reiterated our call in asking Korea to swiftly amend the error, and at the same time we will conduct a full review of our bilateral relationship," said Richard Liu, deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) Department of East Asia and Pacific Affairs, on Tuesday at a press conference.
According to Focus Taiwan, MOFA has taken note that there is a significant trade deficit between the two countries, indicating that two-way ties are not on an equal footing. In 2024, Taiwan's trade deficit with South Korea rose to US$22.9 billion, the largest trade deficit Taiwan had with any country, primarily due to large net imports of integrated circuits. Liu's statement followed MOFA's call on Seoul last week to correct the way Taiwan is listed in the e-Arrival card system launched in February, asserting that the current designation undermines the country's status.
South Korea introduced the online e-Arrival system on February 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, with plans to phase them out by 2026. Travelers are required to complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. MOFA reported receiving multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers who noted that the system lists Taiwan as "China (Taiwan)" in dropdown menus for both "place of departure" and "next destination." The ministry has repeatedly requested Seoul to amend the "wrongful" listing since the system's inception but has yet to receive a favorable response.
In response to Taiwan's appeal, the South Korean foreign ministry previously told CNA that its government continues to maintain unofficial yet practical relations with Taiwan. The Korean side stated it would consider all factors and engage in talks with related units regarding the listing of Taiwan in its e-Arrival card system. Taiwan views itself as a sovereign, independent country, having never been under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China (PRC) since the PRC's establishment in 1949. MOFA reiterated that the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the PRC are not subordinate to one another and urged the South Korean government to rectify the dropdown menus promptly to prevent damage to bilateral ties.
Government data indicates that Taiwan and South Korea recorded 2.47 million two-way visits in 2024, including 1.4 million trips made by Taiwanese travelers.