Tourism in South Korea
Tourism in South Korea and its industry caters to both foreign and domestic tourists. The country has 16 World Heritage Sites, including Changdeokgung Palace, Namhansanseong and Hwaseong Fortress. Seoul is the principal tourist destination for visitors. Popular tourist destinations outside of the capital include the major coastal city of Busan, the Seorak-san national park, the historic city of Gyeongju and subtropical Jeju Island.
Tourism industry
Tourism has been encouraged by Korean government. The worldwide popularity of Korean popular culture, often known as the Korean Wave has significantly increased tourist arrivals. Most non-Korean tourists come from East Asia and North America, such as China, Taiwan and the United States. In 2024, 16.37 million foreign tourists visited South Korea.The majority of the South Korean tourist industry is supported by domestic tourism. Thanks to the country's extensive network of trains and buses, most of the country lies within a day's round trip of any major city. International tourists come primarily from nearby countries or regions in Asia. Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan together account for roughly 75% of the total number of international tourists. In addition, the Korean Wave has brought increasing numbers of tourists from Southeast Asia and India. The Korea Tourism Organization is targeting 100,000 arrivals from India in 2013.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korea Tourism Organization, appoints globally-known South Korean personalities as honorary ambassadors for their campaigns to promote South Korean tourism. They have included Korean Wave figures like boy group BTS, actor Lee Jung-jae, girl group NewJeans, and actor Park Bo-gum.
Domestic tourism
The number of Korean domestic tourists has increased since 2010. The number of people who participated in domestic travel was about 238.3 million, increased by 4.9% compared to 2014. In 2014, Korean's domestic tourism expenditure was ₩14.4 trillion.Also, Korean overseas tourist numbers have been increasing since 2010. From 2012 to 2014, the number of South Koreans travelling overseas has risen by about 8.2% on average. In 2014, number of Korean overseas tourists was about 16.1 million. And Korean overseas tourism expenditure was $19,469.9 million.
Statistics
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In 2019, the contribution of travel and tourism to the Korean GDP was up 4.2% of the total economy. Which accounted for 4.8% of total employment. The impact of international visitors accounted for ₩ 26.5 billion.
Spending habits include:
- Leisure spending 82% vs. Business spending 18%
- Domestic spending 55% vs. International spending 45%
Arrivals
Visitors arriving to South Korea for tourism by nationality:| Country | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 China|mainland ChinaTotal tourist numbersChinaChina has been South Korea's largest tourism source for years. In 2016, visitors from China made up 46.8% of tourists in South Korea. However China imposed a group tour ban after the US military deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea. From April 2017, Chinese tourists plummeted by more than 60% compared to the previous year. In 2020, the South Korean tourism industry made it a long-term goal to reduce its dependency on Chinese tourists.JapanSince Lee Myung-bak's visit to the Liancourt Rocks and his demand for an apology from the Emperor of Japan over Japanese colonialism in Korea in 2012, the Japanese public's image of South Korea deteriorated significantly. Japanese tourists to South Korea halved from 3.5 million in 2012 to 1.8 million in 2015, while South Korean tourists to Japan doubled from 2 million in 2012 to 4 million in 2015.Domestic tourism
Destinations in KoreaSouth Korea's historical tourist attractions include the ancient capitals of Seoul, Gyeongju and Buyeo.Some natural landmarks include the peaks of the Baekdudaegan, particularly Seorak-san and Jiri-san, the caves of Danyang and Hwanseongul, and beaches such as Haeundae and Mallipo. Apart from Jeju island, there are many smaller islands. Excursion ferries are quite common along the south and west coasts and also to Ulleung-do Island, off the east coast. Limited tourism mainly by South Koreans to the Liancourt Rocks has grown in recent years as a result of the political status of the rocks. Many local districts hold annual festivals, such as the Boryeong Mud Festival and the Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival.
Major tourist destinationsSeoulIn addition, people in South Korea come to Seoul to enjoy various cultural activities. Due to the metropolitan area centralization of the cultural infrastructure, there is a cultural gap between Seoul and other regions. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 36.4 percent of the total cultural infrastructure such as public library, museum, and art galleries are concentrated in Seoul. Therefore, many people in South Korea travel to Seoul.
BusanBusan is the second largest city in South Korea. It is located in the southeastern coast in Korea, so Busan has abundant tourist attractions such as beach and hot spring. People in South Korea visit beaches in Busan in hot summer. Also, there are various festivals in Busan. 11 festivals are held annually, including local festivals and art events. Busan sea festival is held every August and Busan International Film Festival is held every October. Jagalchi Cultural Festival is developed into a representative cultural tourism festival in Korea. Because of these various festivals and places, many people travel to Busan. Also, the influence of Social Network Service made Busan a popular tourist attraction. The official Facebook of the Busan Culture and Tourism Ministry and official blog sites promote the tourist attractions in Busan.
[Daegu]
[Incheon]
[Gwangju]
[Daejeon]
[Gyeonggi Province]
Gangwon Province">Gangwon Province, South Korea">Gangwon Province
[North Chungcheong Province]
[South Chungcheong Province]
[North Jeolla Province]
[South Jeolla Province]
[North Gyeongsang Province]
[South Gyeongsang Province]
Jeju Special Self-governing Province">Jeju Province">Jeju Special Self-governing Province
EventsSouth Korea has hosted several international events, including the 1988 Summer Olympics, the 1993 Taejon Expo, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 2005 APEC conference, the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit, the 2014 Asian Games, and the 2018 Winter Olympics. |