The government will extend the validity of the country's visa-free electronic travel authorization program by one year to three years.

The justice ministry said on Thursday that the extension of the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization, or K-ETA, for foreign visitors will take effect on Monday.

Under the K-ETA, travelers from 112 countries are allowed to enter the country without a visa at any time during the validity period after receiving the authorization by registering personal information online prior to departure.

The ministry will also exclude minors under the age of 17 and seniors aged 65 or older from the K-ETA requirement, allowing them unrestricted entry without it.

Earlier this year, support services for the program were expanded from Korean and English to include Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Spanish, French, and Malay.