TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan said Tuesday (March 31) it will temporarily halt plans to reclassify South Korea in its electronic entry system after Seoul signaled it may revise how it lists Taiwan on arrival cards. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, 外交部) said South Korea is conducting administrative and technical reviews of its system, which currently designates Taiwan as "CHINA (TAIWAN)" in the "place of departure" and "next destination" fields.
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that discussions are underway among relevant departments to address the naming designation. The ministry emphasized its consistent stance on promoting cooperation between South Korea and Taiwan, adding that consultations among government agencies are continuing. Neither government provided a timeline for when the reviews would be completed, and it was not immediately clear when any changes might take effect.
Taiwan had previously warned that if it did not receive a positive response by the end of March, it would change South Korea's designation to "KOREA (SOUTH)" in the "place of birth" and "residence" fields on Taiwan's electronic entry card starting in April. The planned retaliatory measure has now been suspended pending the outcome of Seoul's internal review. The dispute centers on how governments classify each other on official travel documents, a sensitive issue given Taiwan's contested international status. ◼