Seoul, South Korea / RankWire.AI / – The Republic of Korea experienced a significant influx of nearly 2 million international tourists in June, propelling the total number of foreign visitors entering the country during the initial six months of 2025 past a notable threshold. Data officially issued by the government and reported by Emirates News Agency confirmed that Korea’s foreign tourist numbers surpassed 10 million in H1, driven by consistent double-digit growth from major regional source markets. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s statistics reveal that June alone saw 1.99 million foreign arrivals, a 23.1 percent rise compared to the same month in the previous year. This robust monthly increase pushed the cumulative total for the first half of the year to 10.71 million visitors, reflecting a 21.3 percent growth from the 8.8 million recorded during the same period in 2025, and surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 figures by 26.9 percent.
Throughout the first half of the year, neighboring East Asian countries remained the primary drivers of South Korea’s tourism recovery. Data on inbound travel shows that mainland China continued to be the top source of foreign visitors, bringing in 650,000 arrivals in June and recording the highest year-on-year growth among the leading source nations. Cumulative figures for January through June indicate that Chinese visitors reached a total of 3.21 million. Japan ranked as the second-largest inbound market, with 350,000 visitors arriving in June, bringing its six-month total to 1.95 million. Meanwhile, Taiwan maintained its position as the third-largest source, with 220,000 arrivals in June and an overall count of 1.15 million visitors over the first half of 2025.
Diversification of the tourism source markets beyond traditional East Asian regions contributed additional momentum to South Korea’s international tourism rebound. Official data on arrivals indicate that long-haul travelers from North America reached 220,000 in June, with the United States accounting for 177,744 of these visitors, resulting in a total of 810,000 American inbound travelers during the first six months. European countries collectively contributed 120,000 arrivals in June, while the six key Southeast Asian origin nations—including the Philippines—generated a combined total of 230,000 visitors. Officials highlighted that visitor numbers from both Taiwan and the United States experienced particularly rapid growth, increasing by over 160 percent when compared to baseline figures from the first half of 2019, prior to the implementation of global travel restrictions.
Mainland China and Japan Dominate Regional Inbound Growth
Transport and logistics data underscore that air travel remained the primary means of entry for foreign visitors, with international flights accounting for 1.74 million arrivals in June. Notably, international travel trends show a quick decentralization from Seoul’s main gateways to regional airports, which experienced faster growth than the central airports. Arrivals through regional airports—such as Gimhae International Airport in Busan, Daegu International Airport, Jeju International Airport, and Cheongju International Airport—rose 42.5 percent year-on-year to reach 395,246 visitors in June. This increase significantly outpaced the 18.2 percent growth seen at core capital airports, including Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport.
The rebound in international arrivals has translated into record-breaking financial gains for Korea’s hospitality and retail sectors during the first half of the year. According to financial metrics published by the Korea Tourism Organization, foreign tourist credit card expenditures surpassed 6.8 billion U.S. dollars, setting a new record for tourism revenue. Sector analysts noted that Korea’s foreign tourist arrivals surpassed 10 million in H1, and the total spending hit the historic milestone of 6.8 billion U.S. dollars approximately three months earlier than in 2025, when such expenditures did not exceed that level until September.
Chinese Tourism Growth Continues to Drive Inbound Metrics
Officials from tourism authorities attribute the sustained growth in inbound travel to strategic policy adjustments, expanded air route capacities, and the rising global popularity of Korean cultural exports. Initiatives such as extending temporary visa-free programs for organized Chinese tour groups and reinstating international flight routes have simplified entry procedures for short-term visitors. Additionally, urban development reports from the Seoul AI Foundation reveal that foreign travelers are increasingly exploring destinations outside traditional capital landmarks. This trend has driven double-digit increases in visitors to outdoor markets, cultural heritage sites, and scenic trails like Achasan and Dongdaemun Design Plaza.
Reaching the 10 million foreign visitor mark before the mid-year point bolsters government forecasts targeting 22 million to 23 million international arrivals by the end of 2025. Officials from the Ministry anticipate that travel momentum will accelerate in the second half of the year, bolstered by peak summer holidays, autumn festivals, and additional international flight options connecting regional airports with major Asian cities. Already surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 figures by nearly 27 percent, Korea’s tourism agencies are actively working with hospitality providers, local governments, and transportation companies to enhance infrastructure capacity and broaden regional travel offerings nationwide.