Seoul agreed to host an advanced US missile defense battery, known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, on its soil in July last year. Beijing has strongly denounced the deployment, claiming that its high-power radar will be used to spy on its military.

Early this month, South Korea's biggest trading partner banned the sale of tour packages and subsequently forbid local air carriers from increasing Korea-bound flights, among other restrictions.

Such a slew of hostile policies have stoked concerns that local tourism and retail firms will be the biggest victims of the dispute.

Last year, Chinese tourists accounted for nearly half of some 17.2 million foreigners who visited South Korea.

Some 40 percent also cited a delay in granting business permits by Chinese authorities as the biggest damage, with 36 percent saying they have been hurt by the cancellation or delays of scheduled events, it showed.

The survey also showed that Beijing's economic retaliation measures may be drawn out, with 44 percent expecting them to continue into the second half of the year.

Some 22 percent even predicted the hostile measures may be stretched into next year, it showed. (Yonhap)