{
  "id": 341538,
  "title": "Korea's tourism balance hits record surplus since pandemic: data",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/koreas-tourism-balance-hits-record-surplus-since-pandemic-data-341538",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-09T04:02:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/travel-food/20260809/koreas-tourism-balance-hits-record-surplus-since-pandemic-data"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Korea's tourism sector recorded its highest surplus since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to data released by the Korea Tourism Organization on Sunday. The country's travel account earned a surplus of $596.6 million in June, a significant improvement from the $846.8 million deficit in the same month a year earlier. This marks the second highest surplus since October 2008, when the tourism sector generated a surplus of $661.5 million. For the first time in 72 months, the tourism balance swung to the black in March of this year and has remained positive since then. In June, total revenue from the tourism sector reached $2.78 billion, with each foreign tourist spending an average of $1,397 per person. This surge in tourism revenue is attributed to South Korea's international image reaching an all-time high in various fields, including K-pop, popular culture, and cuisine, according to professor Kim.",
  "summary": "Korea's tourism sector has reached a record surplus since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data released by the Korea Tourism Organization. The country's travel balance was $596.6 million in surplus in June, marking a significant turnaround from the $846.8 million deficit recorded in the same month last year. This marks the second highest surplus since October 2008, when the tourism sector recorded a surplus of $661.5 million. The shift from continuous red to black in tourism balance occurred in March of this year, after 72 consecutive months of deficits. The surge in revenue is attributed to South Korea's rising international image, bolstered by the global popularity of Korean pop culture, cuisine, and other aspects of Korean culture. Each foreign tourist spent an average of $1,397 during their visit, contributing to a total revenue of $2.78 billion.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "S. Korea's tourism balance hits record surplus since pandemic: data",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/s-koreas-tourism-balance-hits-record-surplus-since-pandemic-data",
        "published": "2026-08-09T02:38:56.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Korea's tourism balance hits record surplus since pandemic: data",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/koreas-tourism-balance-hits-record-surplus-since-pandemic-data",
        "published": "2026-08-09T03:47:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}