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South Korea’s H1 International Arrivals Surpass 10.7 Million, Driven by Regional Growth Trends

The Republic of Korea recorded nearly 2 million international visitors in June, marking a significant milestone as the total number of foreign travelers arriving during the first half of the year exceeded 10 million. Data released by the Emirates News Agency confirmed that Korea’s foreign tourist numbers topped 10 million in H1, supported by consistent double-digit growth across major regional source markets. Figures from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism show that June alone saw 1.99 million foreign visitors, a 23.1 percent rise compared to the same month last year. This strong monthly increase brought the total for the first six months to 10.71 million arrivals, which is a 21.3 percent increase from the 8.8 million recorded during the same period in 2025 and surpasses pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 26.9 percent. Regional tourist destinations report strong international visitor growth beyond capital hubs. Throughout the first half of the year, East Asian neighboring nations remained the leading contributors to South Korea’s tourism recovery. Visitor data shows that mainland China stayed the top source of international arrivals, with 650,000 visitors in June, and experienced the fastest year-on-year growth among major source markets. In total, Chinese visitors numbered 3.21 million during the first half of the year. Japan ranked second with 350,000 arrivals in June, bringing its six-month total to 1.95 million visitors. Taiwan held its position as the third-largest source, contributing