BEIJING, Jan 10 (Reuters) - China's embassy in Seoul said on Tuesday it has stopped issuing short-term visas for visitors from South Korea, the first retaliatory move against countries imposing COVID-19 curbs on travellers from China, where the virus is spreading unchecked.

China reopened its borders on Sunday after three years of isolation, removing the last major restriction that was part of a "zero-COVID" regime which it abruptly began dismantling in early December after historic protests against the curbs.

The frequent lockdowns, relentless testing and various other movement curbs since early 2020 have brought the world's second-largest economy to one of its slowest growth rates in nearly half a century and caused widespread distress.

With the virus let loose, China has stopped publishing daily infection tallies. It has been reporting five or fewer deaths a day since the policy U-turn, figures that have been disputed by the World Health Organisation and are inconsistent with funeral homes reporting a surge in demand for their services.