emirates7 - The Korea Tourism Organization reported that 1.63 million international tourists visited South Korea last month, reflecting a 14.9% increase compared to the same month in the previous year.
This number is 109.7% of the total recorded in the same month of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In terms of nationality, Chinese tourists made up the largest group with 484,000 visitors, followed by 292,000 from Japan, 150,000 from Taiwan, 132,000 from the United States, and 61,000 from the Philippines.
Compared to May 2019, the number of tourists from Taiwan rose by 47.6%, those from the U.S. by 38.1%, and visitors from the Philippines by 19.8%. Japanese arrivals also showed a modest increase of 1.9%, while the number of Chinese visitors reached 96.8% of the pre-pandemic level.
From January to May this year, a total of 7.21 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, marking a 14.7% rise from the same period last year and achieving 103.5% of the visitor count from 2019. China led the way with 2.05 million visitors, followed by Japan with 1.33 million, Taiwan with 700,000, and the United States with 560,000.
In contrast, 2.39 million South Koreans traveled overseas last month, a 5.4% year-on-year increase, reaching 99.6% of the outbound travel volume in May 2019. The total number of Koreans who traveled abroad from January to May was 12.34 million, which is 98.6% of the corresponding 2019 figure.
This number is 109.7% of the total recorded in the same month of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In terms of nationality, Chinese tourists made up the largest group with 484,000 visitors, followed by 292,000 from Japan, 150,000 from Taiwan, 132,000 from the United States, and 61,000 from the Philippines.
Compared to May 2019, the number of tourists from Taiwan rose by 47.6%, those from the U.S. by 38.1%, and visitors from the Philippines by 19.8%. Japanese arrivals also showed a modest increase of 1.9%, while the number of Chinese visitors reached 96.8% of the pre-pandemic level.
From January to May this year, a total of 7.21 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, marking a 14.7% rise from the same period last year and achieving 103.5% of the visitor count from 2019. China led the way with 2.05 million visitors, followed by Japan with 1.33 million, Taiwan with 700,000, and the United States with 560,000.
In contrast, 2.39 million South Koreans traveled overseas last month, a 5.4% year-on-year increase, reaching 99.6% of the outbound travel volume in May 2019. The total number of Koreans who traveled abroad from January to May was 12.34 million, which is 98.6% of the corresponding 2019 figure.