Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Korea’s national parks attract over 2 million foreign visitors last year
A bird's-eye view of Bukhansan National Park / Courtesy of Korea National Park Service
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea's national parks attracted a total of 2.05 million foreign visitors in 2025, the Korea National Park Service (KNPS) said Wednesday.
Of this number, 1.13 million were international tourists, while the remaining 920,000 were foreign residents living here.
Hallasan National Park on Jeju Island drew the largest share of overseas tourists, recording 270,000 visitors. The figure reflects a broader trend of foreign tourists on Jeju Island incorporating natural landscape activities into their itineraries, the agency said.
Dadohaehaesang National Park ranked second with 140,000 visitors, followed by Taeanhaean National Park and Hallyeohaesang National Park, each with 130,000 recorded visitors.
Among international tourists, Chinese nationals accounted for the largest share at 250,000 or 21.9 percent of the total number of visitors. Taiwan followed with 130,000 visitors, the Philippines with 90,000, Indonesia with 80,000, the U.S. with 60,000 and Japan with 50,000.
Visitors from Chinese-speaking regions and Southeast Asian countries made up a disproportionately large share of the total, a trend the agency attributed in part to a broader recovery in inbound tourism to Korea.
The KNPS added autumn is the most popular season for foreign visitors, with the combination of fall foliage and mild temperatures drawing the highest share of visits. Spring and summer followed, while winter recorded the fewest visitors.
The statistics were compiled using mobile roaming data from international arrivals to estimate the number of people present within national park boundaries, replacing the agency's previous method of manual headcounts at entry points.
The KNPS said the new data-driven approach allows for a more objective assessment of visitor volume and movement patterns.
In response to growing foreign visitor demand, the agency intends to step up online outreach through English-language YouTube Shorts and develop tourism packages linked to national parks. It also plans to offer rental safety gears — including hiking boots and trekking poles, provide artificial intelligence-powered multilingual guidance and launch ranger-led programs designed specifically for foreign visitors.
"The fact that foreign visitors to Korea are also visiting our national parks demonstrates that natural landscapes are an important part of Korea's tourism appeal," said KNPS President Joo Dae-yeong.
"Now that we can more accurately measure the scale of foreign visitation through roaming data analysis, we will expand tailored information services and programs for international visitors, and work to build national parks that grow together with local communities."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.