Korea welcomes record 20 mil. foreign visitors as K-culture fuels tourism boom

Korea has achieved a significant milestone by welcoming over 20 million foreign tourists in a single year, marking a historic first. This surge in international visitors is largely driven by the global fascination with Korean culture, known as K-culture. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed that arrivals surpassed 20 million on Thursday, a milestone reached just 14 years after Korea recorded its initial 10 million annual visitors in 2012.

This achievement signifies a new peak for the country's tourism sector, with arrivals projected to continue breaking records until the end of the year.

The increased number of tourists has had a substantial economic impact, with foreign visitors spending a staggering 15.9 trillion won on tourism-related activities through September alone. This represents a remarkable 47.7 percent increase compared to the same period the previous year. The tourism boom has not been confined to the capital city of Seoul; arrivals through airports outside the Seoul metropolitan area rose by 37.4 percent, reaching 3.24 million visitors. Additionally, arrivals via regional seaports climbed by 14.5 percent, totaling 1.58 million.