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![A foreign customer shops at a convenience store in central Seoul on Oct. 1. With Chinese group tourists surging with the start of the visa-free program, sales through foreign payment methods such as Alipay and WeChat Pay on Sept. 29 surged 100-fold compared to the same day last week at the GS25's Myeongdong branch in central Seoul. [YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/10759489.jpg?imageId=10759489&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![A group of Chinese tourists arrive at Incheon International Airport. [YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/12211404.jpg?imageId=12211404&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![Tourists walk the streets of Myeong-dong in Jung District, central Seoul, on Jan. 16. [NEWS1]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/11182257.jpg?imageId=11182257&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![Tourists roam the streets at Bukchon Hanok Village in central Seoul. [BAEK JONG-HYUN]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/12165013.jpg?imageId=12165013&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![Chinese group tourists shop at a duty-free shop at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul, Monday. [YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/11389036.jpg?imageId=11389036&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![Chinese group tourists and officials of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) at Incheon International Airport on Thursday. The KTO held a welcoming ceremony for Chinese tourists who have returned after a six-year hiatus. [NEWS1]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/10427002.jpg?imageId=10427002&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)