South Korea fears China is planning a tourism boycott in retaliation for its decision to deploy the controversial THAAD missile defense system
The government in Seoul said it believed Chinese authorities had told travel agencies in Beijing to stop selling trips to South Korea, intensifying fears of a trade war between the neighbors.
The Chinese government, which is upset about South Korea’s decision to host the THAAD missile defense system , denied any knowledge of such an order.
“Instead of chasing shadows that don’t exist, we hope the South Korean side will heed the voice of the people and take concrete actions to avoid causing further damage to bilateral relations,” said Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At least one Chinese travel company, Tuniu, has already stopped sales of South Korean trips with immediate effect. The online travel firm said in a statement Friday that it objected to the THAAD deployment and a decision by the Lotte conglomerate to make land available for the missiles.
South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it had learned that Chinese authorities summoned representatives of travel agencies in Beijing on Thursday and instructed them to stop selling South Korean tours from March 15.
