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China's embassy in South Korea halts issue of short-term visas

Move seen as retaliation for South Korea's demand that travelers entering country from China have negative COVID-19 tests

The embassy will adjust the policy subject to the lifting of South Korea's "discriminatory entry restrictions" against China, it said .

China suspended visas for South Koreans to come to the country for tourism or business in apparent retaliation for COVID-19 testing requirements on Chinese travelers.

A brief notice posted online by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul said the ban would apply until South Korea lifted its “discriminatory measures on entrance by China” to the country.

No other details were given, although China has threated to retaliate against countries that require travelers from China to show a negative test result for COVID-19 taken within the previous 48 hours.

The announcement comes a day after Foreign Minister Qin Gang expressed concern about the restrictions in a telephone call with his South Korean counterpart Park Jin, according to China's foreign ministry.

Last week, South Korean police tracked down a Chinese man who went missing while awaiting quarantine after having tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival.

The incident raised concern about the spread of the virus from China after Beijing abruptly abandoned its tough "zero-COVID" policy and opened its borders despite widespread domestic infections.