South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) estimated foreign arrivals this year had topped 20 million by Thursday, the first time the country crossed that threshold, The Korea Herald reported.
For Thursday's estimate, MCST started from a provisional 19.97 million arrivals counted through Wednesday and used the year's average pace of about 64,000 visitors per day. The ministry said arrivals recorded through December would lift this year's total further. South Korea first reached the 10 million visitor mark in 2012, 14 years before this estimate.
The current count has already gone beyond the country's previous annual high. MCST said arrivals passed the 18.94 million record on Oct. 27, after an earlier provisional count put the total at 18.91 million through Oct. 26. EconoTimes previously reported the record break and the ministry's 23 million target.
The Korea Herald also reported growth in arrivals outside the capital region. In the first nine months of 2026, 3.24 million foreign visitors entered through airports beyond the region, up 37.4% from a year earlier; seaports recorded 1.58 million arrivals, a 14.5% increase. These figures show where visitors entered South Korea, not where they later stayed or spent money.
MCST attributed the increase to Korean culture's growing international reach, according to the Herald. The ministry's 2026 overseas Hallyu survey covered 27,000 people in 30 countries. On local popularity, 55% said Korean food was popular in their country, compared with 54% for music and 51% for dramas. A 65% share said the Korean Wave made them more inclined to buy Korean products and services, compared with 58% two years earlier.
Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said MCST would prepare to host 30 million visitors, with a later goal of 40 million.
