Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Seoul sees record surge in foreign visitors, boosted by popularity of K-culture
Tourists look around shops in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Aug. 20. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
Seoul is seeing record numbers of foreign visitors driven especially by the appeal of Korean pop culture, a trend expected to continue as the capital city broadens its international appeal.
A record 1.36 million foreign travelers visited Seoul in July, a 23.1 percent year-on-year increase. Chinese tourists accounted for the largest group at 470,000, followed by 240,000 from Japan, 160,000 from Taiwan and 100,000 from the United States.
Between January and July this year, 8.28 million foreigners visited the city, a record high and around 5.5 percent above prepandemic levels.
Seoul officials attribute this surge to the city’s mix of traditional and modern culture, smart and safe digital-first infrastructure and the popularity of Korea’s cultural content.
City officials note that more tourists — especially younger visitors — are flocking to well-known K-drama and movie sites across Seoul. To support them, the government has set up 30 “Seoul Spots,” artificial intelligence-enabled guideboards that offer multilingual audio tours through QR codes. Stops include the Korea Stone Art Museum from “Queen of Tears,” Deoksu Palace Stone Wall Road from “Reborn Rich” and Dongdaemun Design Plaza from “Vincenzo.”
With the massive popularity of “KPop Demon Hunters,” the animated Netflix film released two months ago about a girl group that battles evil spirits by night, Seoul city officials are hoping to lure more visitors to the city, which served as the movie’s main setting and featured landmarks like Bukchon Hanok Village and N Seoul Tower.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, third from left, inspects the construction site for Seoul Arena in northern Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
On Monday, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon inspected the construction site of Seoul Arena, which will become Korea’s largest venue dedicated to K-pop upon completion in March 2027.
After inspecting the site in Dobong District, northeastern Seoul, he expressed hope that its completion will lead to a further boom in K-pop tourism.
“In a year and a half, Seoul Arena will transform into a world-class concert destination that attracts top international artists,” he said. “By providing world-class infrastructure, we aim to draw 2.7 million visitors annually and serve as a major driver for the growth of K-pop and Korea’s pop culture industry.”
Seoul Arena will be developed as a multipurpose cultural complex, featuring a main concert hall that can accommodate up to 28,000 audience members, along with various commercial facilities. City officials say the goal is to make it a state-of-the-art music performance center, equipped with advanced sound systems and seating arranged to ensure excellent views from any location.
“The steady increase in international visitors to Seoul proves that the city’s unique blend of flavors, style and excitement offers an appealing travel experience that is competitive in the global tourism market,” said Koo Jong-won, director-general at the city government's tourism and sports division. “We will continue to develop distinctive tourism content and innovative services to achieve 30 million foreign visitors as early as possible and establish Seoul as a top-tier global tourist destination.”