Foreign visitors to South Korea pass last year's full-year record two months early: 18.91 million as of October 26, ministry eyes 23 million for 2026
South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on October 27 that foreign visitors to South Korea this year have already surpassed last year's full-year record, roughly two months ahead of schedule. The provisional cumulative count stood at 18.91 million as of October 26; at an average of about 64,000 arrivals a day, the ministry confirmed the previous record of 18.94 million has been exceeded. If the trend continues, the cumulative total will pass 20 million in the third week of November and could reach the government's initial target of 23 million by year-end.
By market, foreign arrivals from January through September totaled 17.11 million, up 21.5% from the same period last year, a faster pace than neighboring destinations such as Japan and Thailand recorded. Visitors from the Greater China region rose 29.1%, while Japan and Southeast Asia rose 16.9% and 15.3%, and the Americas and Europe rose 15.1%. Foreign visitor spending in South Korea rose 47.7% over the same period, led by shopping at 37.0%, followed by accommodation at 19.6% and medical and wellness services at 16.6%.
Regional tourism also improved: 4.82 million foreign visitors entered through airports and ports outside the capital region from January to September, up nearly 29% from a year earlier, and foreign visits to regions outside the capital rose about 20%, from 54.07 million to 64.72 million. The government credits the spread of Korean culture, improved tourism products and services, expanded flights and eased visa issuance. Seoul aims for 30 million foreign visitors by 2030 and 40 million by 2033. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young said breaking the record two months early makes the 23 million year-end goal feasible, and that the government will focus on quality as well as quantity.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 韩国 Seoul 景福宫庆会楼实景（资料图）。Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
