Eased visa rules, K-culture buzz drive record tourism boom in Korea

Tourism in Korea has shattered historical records, driven by a surge in international visitors taking advantage of relaxed visa policies and a global obsession with Korean pop culture. According to data released Monday by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea welcomed 15.05 million foreign visitors through August 2026 — a 21.6 percent jump from the same period last year. The benchmark was crossed well ahead of last year’s pace, when the country hit 15 million in mid-October. August alone set an all-time monthly record, drawing 2.25 million overseas travelers. The influx fueled record spending, with foreign credit card expenditures in the tourism sector surging 48.5 percent year-over-year to 14.02 trillion won (about $10.5 billion) through August. The rebound outpaces neighboring Asian destinations. While rival tourism markets like Japan and Thailand saw slight dips of 2.7 percent and 3.1 percent over the same period, Korea’s arrivals climbed sharply across all key markets. Taiwan led the growth in Greater China with a 32.2 percent surge, while Southeast Asian markets p