Share of visitors to South Korea 2023, by origin

In 2023, approximately 76.2 percent of visitors to South Korea were from other Asian countries. Another 12.5 percent came from the Americas, while roughly eight percent originated from Europe. Among a total of 11 million visitors in 2023, Japanese and Chinese tourists made up the largest number, with around 2.3 million and two million visitors, respectively.

Tourism in South Korea after the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

South Korea’s travel and tourism market experienced a sharp decline in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the market quickly recovered, reaching pre-pandemic levels in 2022. Revenue generated in this market is expected to continue growing, especially considering the increased popularity of Korean pop culture. The majority of tourists came to Korea to enjoy the food and to shop, while close to 13 percent came to engage in K-pop or other "hallyu"-related activities.

Medical tourism in South Korea

  The previously increasing numbers of medical tourists also experienced a significant decline in 2020. Despite the rapid growth reported in 2022, the number of patients remained approximately half the count of 2019, which had marked the peak year for medical tourists since the first international patient in 2009. Overall, patients expressed high satisfaction with the quality of treatment across all categories. Notably, staff service achieved the highest level of satisfaction at around 92.8 percent. These positive reviews bode well for the tourism industry overall, as 88.8 percent of medical tourists expressed their willingness to revisit South Korea for travel purposes.