South Korea has welcomed more than 20 million foreign tourists in 2026, reaching the milestone for the first time as the country reports strong growth in arrivals through airports outside the greater Seoul area and a sharp rise in visitor spending.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on 12 November that preliminary figures showed 19.97 million foreign tourists had entered South Korea by the previous day. Using an average of 64,000 arrivals per day during 2026, the ministry estimated that the total passed 20 million on 12 November.
Regional gateways record faster growth
The latest figures show that demand is not concentrated solely on the capital region. Foreign visitor arrivals through airports outside greater Seoul reached 3.24 million, a year-on-year increase of 37.4%. Those passengers represented 19.0% of all foreign visitors to South Korea.
International arrivals through ports outside the capital region also increased, rising 14.5% year on year to 1.58 million. That represented a further 9.2% of the national total.
| Indicator | 2026 figure | Change or share |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign tourists entering South Korea | More than 20 million | First time recorded |
| Arrivals through airports outside greater Seoul | 3.24 million | Up 37.4%; 19.0% of total visitors |
| Arrivals through ports outside the capital region | 1.58 million | Up 14.5%; 9.2% of total visitors |
| Foreign tourism consumption, January-September | 15.9416 trillion won | Up 47.7% year on year |
Spending rises alongside arrivals
Foreign tourism consumption reached 15.9416 trillion won between January and September, compared with 10.794 trillion won during the same period last year. The ministry reported this as a 47.7% increase, giving airlines, airports and destination businesses a broader measure of the value generated by inbound demand than passenger numbers alone.
The ministry attributed the expansion to the international reach of Korean culture and tourism promotion measures involving several parts of government. Its 2026 Overseas Hallyu Survey, which questioned 27,000 people across 30 countries who had experienced Korean cultural content, found that more than half regarded Korean food, music, beauty products and television dramas as popular in their own countries.
- Korean food was identified as popular by 55% of respondents.
- Music was cited by 54%.
- Beauty products were cited by 53%.
- Television dramas were cited by 51%.
Since a presidential meeting of the National Tourism Strategy Council in February, South Korean authorities have worked on measures including the streamlining of immigration procedures, expanding international services at regional airports and stronger penalties for price gouging. The combination of those measures with rising interest in Korean cultural content has supported visitor growth beyond established destinations in Seoul, with foreign tourists also travelling to traditional markets and neighbourhood commercial districts.
“Surpassing 20 million foreign tourists is the starting point for becoming an irreplaceable tourism powerhouse. We will thoroughly prepare the capacity to reach 30 million and move toward an era of 40 million.”
Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said the government’s next objective was to prepare for 30 million visitors and move towards an era of 40 million. The current results indicate that regional gateways are already accounting for a substantial share of inbound traffic, while the rise in spending points to increased economic activity across destinations outside the capital as well as in Seoul.
