{
  "id": 17747563,
  "title": "Korean travelers favor nearby Asia as Europe, North America lose ground",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/korean-travelers-favor-nearby-asia-as-europe-north-america-lose-ground",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-02T05:12:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/economy/20261102/korean-travelers-favor-nearby-asia-as-europe-north-america-lose-ground"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Solo traveler Lee Ji-yeon, in her 30s, chose to visit Japan's Kyoto over distant destinations like Canada and Australia. The shorter, nearby trip seemed more feasible due to work constraints and the high cost of airfare. Meanwhile, a 60-year-old Seoul resident named Park plans to travel to Hong Kong with friends in December. Park finds long-distance travel physically exhausting, leading her to rule out European and North American destinations. These travel preferences mirror a larger trend among Koreans. According to data from BC Card, Japan and China are increasingly attracting Korean tourists, while Europe and North America are witnessing a decline in their popularity. As of the first half of the year, Asia accounted for 74.3 percent of Koreans' overseas travel spending, up from 60.4 percent in the comparable period last year.",
  "summary": "Lee Ji-yeon, an office worker in her 30s, traveled solo to Japan's Kyoto in early October. She had considered destinations such as Canada and Australia, but ultimately opted for a shorter trip closer to home. \"It was difficult for me to take a long day off work, and considering the cost of airfare, I thought it would make more sense to take a short trip to a nearby country,\" she said. A Seoul…",
  "key_points": [
    "Korean travelers favor nearby Asia over distant Europe and North America.",
    "Japan and China attract more Korean tourists in the first half of the year.",
    "Asia's share of Koreans' overseas travel spending rises to 74.3%."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Rising airfares and physical constraints are driving Korean travelers toward regional destinations, shifting the focus of overseas spending from distant Western nations to more accessible neighbors in Asia.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "South Korean sergeant killed on border with external wounds, as tensions with North escalate",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/south-korean-sergeant-killed-on-border-with-external-wounds-as",
        "published": "2026-11-02T07:46:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Europe seeks Central Asia's critical minerals as producers push for local processing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/europe-seeks-central-asias-critical-minerals-as-producers-push-for",
        "published": "2026-11-02T08:19:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}