Yonhap News4/30/2026BusinessSouth Korea
Foreign Tourist Arrivals in South Korea Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels in March
BTS concert in Seoul drives 33% surge in visitors compared to 2019, with Chinese and Japanese tourists leading the recovery
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- South Korea welcomed over 2.04 million foreign tourists in March 2026, a 33.2% increase from pre-pandemic March 2019, driven by BTS fans attending the group's comeback concert in Seoul.
- Chinese tourists led with 501,000 arrivals, followed by Japan (482,000), Taiwan (192,000), the United States (152,000), and Vietnam (75,000).
- Outbound travel also rose, with 2.29 million South Koreans traveling abroad in March.
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South Korea welcomed over 2.04 million foreign tourists in March 2026, a 33.2% increase from pre-pandemic March 2019, driven by BTS fans attending the group's comeback concert in Seoul. Chinese tourists led with 501,000 arrivals, followed by Japan (482,000), Taiwan (192,000), the United States (152,000), and Vietnam (75,000). Outbound travel also rose, with 2.29 million South Koreans traveling abroad in March.
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