Foreign arrivals reached a record 15.05 million in the first eight months, up 21.6 percent from 12.38 million a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
August alone drew 2.25 million visitors, up 23.3 percent from a year earlier and the highest monthly total on record. The surge pushed arrivals past the 15 million mark well ahead of last year, when the milestone was reached in mid-October.
The growth outpaced several major regional competitors. Japan received 27.63 million foreign visitors through August, down 2.7 percent from a year earlier, while arrivals in Thailand fell 3.1 percent to 20.94 million, according to figures compiled in the ministry’s release. Vietnam recorded a 14.4 percent increase to 15.91 million.
Foreign visitors’ spending in South Korea grew even faster than arrivals.
Tourism-related card spending by foreigners, including online purchases, jumped 48.5 percent to a record 14.02 trillion won in the first eight months, from 9.44 trillion won a year earlier.
Entry points outside the Seoul metropolitan area also handled a growing share of visitors. Regional airports and seaports accounted for 27.8 percent of arrivals through August, which the ministry cited as evidence that inbound tourism was spreading beyond the capital region.
China remained South Korea’s largest source of visitors, with arrivals rising 29.0 percent to 4.82 million. Taiwan posted even stronger growth of 32.2 percent to 1.66 million, while arrivals from Japan increased 17.5 percent to 2.70 million.
Major Southeast Asian markets also expanded. Arrivals from the Philippines rose 16.1 percent to about 454,000, followed by Vietnam at 407,000, up 10.5 percent. Indonesia recorded a 22.5 percent increase to 295,000, while Singapore and Thailand grew 11.9 percent and 14.9 percent to 243,000 and 230,000, respectively.
The ministry attributed the broader visitor base to easier entry procedures and marketing tailored to individual markets.
South Korea eased multiple-entry visa requirements for travelers from 11 Southeast Asian countries on March 30 and began a temporary visa-free entry program for Indonesian tour groups on May 28.
The Korea Tourism Organization also promoted the changes through overseas events and social media, while supporting efforts to shorten visa processing times and simplify application documents.
Marketing campaigns focused on turning interest in Korean culture into travel bookings. A three-day tourism roadshow in central Singapore built around everyday Korean experiences attracted 120,000 visitors, the ministry said.
The government also worked with airlines and online travel agencies on airfare promotions as higher fuel surcharges increased travel costs from March. Flights from Indonesia to South Korea rose 8.8 percent in the first eight months, helping support the increase in visitors from that market.
“Improved entry procedures and tailored marketing are diversifying the base of visitors to Korea,” said Kang Jung-won, head of the ministry’s tourism policy office.
He said the ministry would work to keep visa issuance and airport and seaport processing running smoothly while strengthening marketing linked to Korean culture to sustain demand in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, South Koreans made 19.81 million overseas trips in the first eight months, equivalent to 98.7 percent of the level recorded in the same period of 2019.
Outbound travel in August edged up 0.4 percent from a year earlier to 2.43 million, slightly exceeding its pre-pandemic level.
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