Foreign tourist spending in Korea tops $1.3 bil. for 1st time

International visitors snap a photo in downtown Seoul's bustling Myeong-dong shopping district, June 9. Yonhap

Foreign tourist spending in Korea has shattered historical records, surging past the 2 trillion won ($1.3 billion) mark in a single month for the very first time.

According to data analyzed by the Korea Tourism Organization, international visitors spent a staggering 2.12 trillion won in Korea using credit cards this past May. The figure represents a massive 67.1 percent jump compared to the same period last year, marking the highest growth rate the country has seen since 2023. The explosive growth was the result of a tidal wave of Chinese visitors, whose card usage skyrocketed by more than 200 percent year-on-year.

However, analysts say the real story is that tourist habits are sharply bifurcating, with younger visitors hunting down local lifestyle trends while other tourists, mostly from China, concentrate on shopping for high-end luxury goods.

For the younger crowd, tourism has evolved from checking off traditional landmarks to mimicking the daily routines of Seoulites. In the trendy alleys of Seongsu-dong and the shopping blocks of Myeong-dong, "gorpcore" fashion — the art of styling outdoor hiking gear as streetwear — is driving an 84.5 percent spike in sports apparel sales. Young travelers are queuing up to design custom sneakers at Myeong-dong's "Nike By You" and hunting down limited-edition pop-up character merchandise, pushing toy and entertainment sales up by 191 percent.

Even pharmacies have turned into hotspots.

A massive 206 percent surge in drugstore spending reveals a highly specific new itinerary: Tourists visit local dermatology clinics for skin care treatments, then head to pharmacies to stock up on medical-grade skin-repair creams.

Meanwhile, high-rolling tourists are operating on an entirely different scale, moving aggressively through luxury districts.

In the affluent Cheongdam-dong neighborhood of southern Seoul, watch and jewelry sales surged 135 percent. The average single transaction in this category hit a jaw-dropping 12.15 million won, driven primarily by Chinese shoppers looking to beat global inventory shortages. Whether buying limited-edition sneakers or multi-million-won timepieces, global travelers are making one thing clear: Korea is no longer just a sightseeing destination — it is a retail playground.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.