S. Korea welcomes record 15 mln foreign tourists by Aug.

South Korea welcomed a record 15 million foreign tourists by August, breaking the previous yearly record. The number of visitors surged by 21.6 percent compared to the same period in 2025, when 12.38 million tourists were recorded. August alone saw a record-breaking 2.25 million visitors. The influx of tourists generated a staggering 14 trillion won ($10.3 billion) in tourism-related transactions during the first eight months of the year, marking a 48.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Inbound tourism expanded beyond Seoul, with 27.8 percent of visitors arriving through regional airports and ports. The growth was particularly strong among Chinese-speaking countries, with arrivals from China increasing by 29 percent to 4.8 million and Taiwan rising by 32.2 percent to 1.66 million. Southeast Asian countries also contributed to the surge, with visitor numbers from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand reaching 454,000, 407,000, 295,000, 243,000, and 230,000 respectively.