This must be the best news ever for Filipino Hallyu fans!

South Korea announced its plan to launch a new visa that is specific to those who love South Korean culture, allowing them to stay in the country for two years.

The Hallyu visa, or the ‘K-culture training visa,’ will permit non-Koreans, the K-culture enthusiasts, who are registered at local performing arts academies to stay in South Korea for two years.

South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s business plan cites the arts as "the driver of K-culture for the next generation,’ providing support to young artists and writers as one of six key strategies to attract more tourists.

Such initiative drives the arts as crucial to fostering the next wave of Korean culture, with the ministry also planning to have a “K Tourism Road Show” for countries like the United States and Sweden to expand South Korea’s tourism.

From the tourism point of view, bolstering the enthusiasm for K-pop and K-drama is a strategic move, as the $10 billion K-pop industry is the foundation of South Korea’s economy, which significantly influences the country’s gross domestic product.

Moreover, South Korea is also introducing a separate visa for remote workers as of January 1, which permits individuals earning a minimum of $66,000 annually to live in the country for two years.

Meanwhile, the word ‘Hallyu’ is translated to “Korean Wave,” which refers to the massive global popularity of South Korea’s cultural economy that exports K-pop culture through music, film, and other forms of arts.

The requirements for the K-culture visa are still under wraps, and more information is expected to be announced by mid-2024.