South Korea welcomed 17.11 million visitors in nine months — nearly last year's whole total

South Korea's welcome is working. Foreign arrivals reached 17.11 million in the first nine months of 2026 — just 1.83 million short of the entire previous year's total — while September alone topped 2 million visitors for the third straight month. Tourism card spending rose even faster than arrivals, and the growth is spreading beyond the capital: arrivals through regional airports such as Gimhae, Jeju, Cheongju and Daegu rose 37.4%. 'The various efforts to raise awareness of Korean tourism, improve the travel environment and expand content are bearing fruit,' said Kang Jung-won of the tourism ministry.

SDG 8 · Decent work and economic growth