China's embassy in Seoul says it will resume issuing short-term visas for South Korean visitors to the country from Saturday.

The embassy made the announcement on Wednesday without mentioning the reason. The move comes following last week's lifting of visa restrictions imposed by South Korea on Chinese travelers.

The tit-for-tat began in late December, when South Korea announced that it would require Chinese travelers to take PCR tests before and after their arrival through end of February. This policy was due to China's surging coronavirus cases.

In retaliation, China on January 10 suspended issuance of short-term visas for South Korean travelers. Beijing had accused Seoul's measures of being discriminatory.

In late January, the South Korean government said it would extend for a month its restriction on issuing short-term visas to travelers from mainland China. But it lifted the restriction last week after the infection rate of people entering the country from China dropped sharply.