[Graphic News] S. Korea's tourism rebounds as foreigners return

South Korea is enjoying a significant tourism rebound, with visitor numbers in the first four months of 2024 reaching nearly 89 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to the government’s tourism agency.

From January to April, South Korea welcomed 4.866 million foreign visitors, marking an 86.9 percent increase from the same period last year. Tourists from Singapore and the United States led the recovery, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers by 54.7 percent and 19.5 percent, respectively.

While China and Japan - traditionally Korea’s top two sources of inbound tourists - have seen a slower recovery, their visitor numbers have still grown considerably compared to last year. Tourist arrivals from China and Japan have reached 78.1 percent and 82.5 percent of pre-pandemic levels, respectively, representing a substantial 470 percent and 85.7 percent increase from the same period last year.

Tourism plummeted during the pandemic, hitting a low of 967,003 arrivals in 2021. However, the numbers have been rising since South Korea began easing travel restrictions in 2022, with 11 million arrivals recorded in 2023.

Leveraging the global popularity of Korean pop culture, the government aims to attract 20 million tourists this year.