South Korea Welcomes Over 10 Million Foreign Tourists in H1 2026, Records $9.27B May Spending

According to South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the country received over 10 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2026 for the first time, marking a record for the same period. The milestone came approximately one month earlier than in 2025, when the 10 million threshold was reached in mid-July.

In May alone, South Korea welcomed 1.95 million foreign tourists, a 19.4% year-over-year increase. Foreign visitors' card spending that month, including online purchases, reached 2.1 trillion Korean won (approximately $927 million USD), marking the first time monthly card spending exceeded 2 trillion won since January 2018.