South Korea Welcomes 10.71 Million Foreign Visitors in H1 2026, Card Spending Exceeds KRW 10 Trillion

An estimated 10.71 million international travelers visited South Korea during the first half of 2026. Pictured above, Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul's Jongno-gu District was brimming with visitors on March 16. (Korea.net DB)

Data released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on July 28 shows that foreign visitor arrivals reached 10.71 million in the January-June period, with the June figure alone climbing 23.1% year-on-year to hit 1.99 million.

【Performance Tickets】London "Phantom of the Opera" Musical Ticket

Book today before 18:30

HKD 317 Start

Book now

China topped the list of source markets, sending 650,000 visitors to Korea, followed by Japan with 350,000. Other regions also posted growth: the Americas contributed 220,000 arrivals, Europe added 120,000, and six Southeast Asian nations — Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore — collectively accounted for 230,000 visitors.

【Attraction Tickets】London Eye Ticket

Book today before 17:00

HKD 458 Start

Book now

Air travel dominated inbound transportation, carrying 1.74 million passengers. A particularly notable trend was the surge at regional gateways: 390,000 tourists entered through airports in Gimhae, Daegu, Jeju Island, and Cheongju last month, recording an impressive 42.5% year-on-year jump — more than double the 18.2% growth rate at Seoul metropolitan area airports.

Rising visitor numbers fueled higher spending. Foreign card transactions reached KRW 2.05 trillion in June, topping the KRW 2 trillion threshold for a second consecutive month. The cumulative figure for the first half of the year stood at KRW 10.38 trillion, up 50.8% compared to the same period last year, with the KRW 10 trillion milestone hit three months earlier than in 2025, when it was only reached in September.

【Attraction Tickets】London IFS Cloud Cable Car Ticket

Book today before 18:00

HKD 59 Start

Book now

Beyond the impressive numbers, Korea's tourism sector also demonstrated qualitative improvement. A survey of international travelers in the second quarter revealed that overall travel satisfaction edged up from 89.8 to 90.5 points, while the proportion of visitors exploring regions beyond the capital area rose from 31.4% to 34.2%, signaling a broader distribution of tourism benefits across the country.