{
  "id": 16860353,
  "title": "Korea eyes 30 mil. tourists with regional push",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/korea-eyes-30-mil-tourists-with-regional-push-16860353",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-28T06:42:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/travel-food/20261028/korea-eyes-30-mil-tourists-with-regional-push"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korea is actively pursuing a strategy to attract 30 million foreign tourists, according to Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young. The government aims to shift its tourism focus from the capital city of Seoul to regional areas, according to a press conference in Seoul. Minister Chae emphasized that Korea is fully prepared to welcome 30 million visitors, with the potential to welcome 40 million in the future.\n\nTo ensure that regional tourism genuinely benefits local economies, the ministry is focusing on both the quantity and quality of inbound visitors, while actively addressing concerns about overtourism. The tourism sector in Korea is currently experiencing record-breaking growth, with foreign tourist arrivals surpassing the annual total of 18.94 million as of Tuesday. Despite global challenges such as high oil prices, inflation, and the conflict in the Middle East, the ministry attributes this growth to the popularity of K-culture, industry innovation, and local hospitality.\n\nTo sustain this upward momentum, the government has increased its 2027 budget for the tourism sector to 1.756 trillion won, equivalent to $1.31 billion. This funding boost is part of the country's efforts to capitalize on the growing interest in Korean culture and to support local economies through the tourism industry.",
  "summary": "Korea is working to open an era of 30 million foreign visitors by shifting its tourism focus from Seoul to regional areas, Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said Wednesday. \"An unprecedented future has already arrived and Korea is fully preparing to welcome 30 million and eventually 40 million overseas travelers,\" Chae said during a press conference in Seoul. \"To ensure that regional tourism…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "S. Korea bets on regional tourism to attract more foreign visitors",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/s-korea-bets-on-regional-tourism-to-attract-more-foreign-visitors",
        "published": "2026-10-28T06:27:47.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}