SEOUL, June 21 (AJU PRESS) - The weak Japanese yen has attracted over 10 million Korean travelers to Japan during the first five months of this year, up about 46 percent compared to the same period last year.
According to data released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Friday, some 10.26 million people traveled to the island country between January and May, up 46.2 percent from last year's 6.95 million. The figure is the highest ever recorded since the ministry began collecting and analyzing such statistics since 2009.
Travel industry insiders attributed the surge to the weak yen. As of Friday, 100 yen was exchanged for around 873 Korean won, compared to about 1,088 won in June 2019.
Since the early 2000s, Japan has been a favorite travel destination for many Koreans, mainly because it takes only about two and a half hours to reach Tokyo. Short trips to explore Japan's major cities over the weekends are also popular among young people seeking cost-effective overseas travel.
In a straw poll of some 9,375 overseas travelers between August 2022 and September 2023, conducted by market researcher Consumer Insight, Japan remained as the most favored travel destination among Koreans, mainly due to geographic proximity, affordable shopping and dining options and convenient tourism infrastructure.
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