No. of foreign tourists exceeds 10 mil. in 1st half

Foreign tourists crowd Myeong-dong street in Jung District, Seoul, Sunday. Newsis

Korea is on track to achieve its ambitious annual target of attracting over 22 million overseas visitors this year, driven by a strong rebound in travel numbers for the first half of the year and aggressive government measures to stamp out unfair business practices targeting tourists.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released data showing that the nation welcomed 10.71 million foreign visitors from January to June. The milestone was buoyed by a sharp monthly surge in June, when 1.99 million overseas tourists visited the country, up 23.1 percent from the same month last year.

The steady influx bolsters prospects for reaching the government’s target of 22 million to 23 million foreign tourists for this year. A report released by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute last month projected foreign arrivals to reach 22 million this year, marking a 16.2 percent increase from 2025.

Visitor numbers from key markets grew strongly in June. China led the arrivals with 650,000 visitors, followed by Japan with 350,000 and Taiwan with 220,000. Southeast Asian nations, the Americas and European countries also logged gains, reflecting healthy market diversification.

Regional airports welcomed significantly more foreign travelers. In June, 390,000 foreign visitors entered through regional international airports, including Busan's Gimhae, Daegu, Jeju Island and Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, up 42.5 percent from a year earlier.

Foreign tourist card spending hit a record 10.03 trillion won ($6.84 billion) in the first half of the year, reaching the 10 trillion won milestone three months faster than last year.

Survey results for the second quarter further highlighted qualitative growth, with foreign travelers reporting higher overall satisfaction levels and greater interest in exploring destinations outside Seoul.

Kang Jung-won, head of the tourism policy bureau of the tourism ministry, said the recent surge in overseas visitors stems from the synergy between the global popularity of Korean pop culture and policy support.

"The rapid growth in the inbound tourism market during the first half of the year is the result of the irreplaceable appeal of K-culture, combined with the joint efforts of the government and the tourism industry," Kang said.

Foreign students participating in Pukyong National University's summer school learn K-pop dance moves at the university’s campus in Busan, July 22. Yonhap

To maintain this growth momentum and enhance visitor experience, the government approved a revised enforcement decree of the Tourism Promotion Act during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

It said this is to step up regulatory measures to curb price gouging at travel spots. The revised rules, set to take effect on Aug. 4, strictly target unfair pricing practices among operators catering to foreign travelers.

Under the new decree, urban homestays and traditional accommodations will face an immediate five-day business suspension upon their first violation if they fail to display room rates or if they charge higher prices than posted.

Previously, first-time violators among traditional house operators received only a corrective order, while urban homestays did not even have rules requiring them to show their prices. Penalties will become heavier for repeat violations and a fourth violation will result in a full business shutdown.

The government added it plans to extend the one-strike penalty policy to taxis and restaurants. Officials are also working on new rules to penalize accommodations that cancel bookings without a valid reason, while introducing a system that requires lodging operators to report their peak-season price limits.