Record 8,825,967 Inbound Foreign Tourists to Korea in First Half of Year

The number of inbound foreign tourists to Korea in the first half of this year reached an all-time high.

According to tourism statistics for June released by the Korea Tourism Organization on July 31, the number of foreign tourists in June was 1,619,220.

On the 25th, ahead of the peak summer vacation season, Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 duty-free zone was crowded with travelers. Incheon Airport Corporation expects about 3.91 million people to use Incheon Airport during the three weeks from late July to early August, the peak summer season. 2025.7.25. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The cumulative number of foreign tourists in the first half of this year was 8,825,967, which is a 14.6% increase compared to the same period last year (7,701,407). This figure is also 4.6% higher than the previous record for the first half of a year, which was 8,439,214 in 2019.

By country, Chinese tourists accounted for the largest share in the first half of the year, with 2,526,841 visitors. This represents a 13.9% increase compared to last year's 2,218,979.

Following China, the largest numbers of visitors came from Japan (1,619,180), the United States (730,771), Taiwan (862,236), the Philippines (308,482), and Vietnam (268,874). The number of tourists from Japan, the United States, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Vietnam also increased by 13.1%, 13.9%, 25.9%, 24.4%, and 7.9%, respectively.

The number of outbound Korean tourists in the first half of the year was 14,563,624, which is a 3.9% increase compared to last year (14,023,382). However, this is a 3.0% decrease compared to 2019 (15,007,849).