South Korea’s foreign tourism exceeds 10 million visitors in H1 2024

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reported that 10.71 million foreign visitors came to South Korea between January and June 2024, a 23.1 % increase compared with the same period last year. China supplied the largest share with 650,000 arrivals, followed by Japan (350,000) and Taiwan (220,000). Visitors also rose from North America (220,000), Europe (120,000) and six Southeast Asian markets (230,000), reducing reliance on any single source.

Regional airports played a larger role, with travelers entering through Gimhae, Daegu, Jeju and Cheongju airports reaching 390,000 – a 42.5 % jump year‑on‑year. Card‑based tourist spending surged, with June alone recording 2.544 trillion KRW and total first‑half expenditures surpassing 10 trillion KRW, three months earlier than the previous year’s milestone. Tourist satisfaction rose to 90.5 points, up from 89.8, and the proportion of trips outside the capital region grew to 34.2 %.

Kang Jeong‑won, director of the tourism policy office, said, “The rapid growth of the first‑half tourism market is the result of the unique appeal of K‑culture together with the efforts of the government and the industry.” The data indicate a robust recovery of South Korea’s tourism sector and suggest the 20 million‑visitor target for the full year may be reachable.