Why did Korean media say that more than 400,000 Chinese tourists canceled their trips to South Korea, making the tourism industry faint?

South Korea's "Asia Economy" reported on March 22 that according to news from the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the 22nd, from March 1 to 19, Chinese tourists to South Korea decreased by 21.9% compared with the same period last year, ** *139,000 Chinese tourists canceled their South Korea tours. At the same time, about 300,000 Chinese tourists have canceled their trips to South Korea in April.

From March 1st to 19th, 139,000 Chinese tourists canceled their tours to South Korea, and travel agency sales dropped sharply by 7 billion won (approximately 43 million yuan). About 300,000 Chinese tourists canceled their trips to South Korea in April, causing travel agencies to lose 8.4 billion won (approximately 51.54 million yuan).

The sales of major duty-free shops, which are highly dependent on Chinese tourists, fell by 12% year-on-year from March 15 to 19, of which sales by Chinese tourists dropped by 29%.