Lee says foreign tourist arrivals hit all-time high, vows to spread benefits beyond Seoul

President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that South Korea has set a new all-time record for foreign tourist arrivals this year, pledging to channel the momentum driven by K-culture into growth for regions beyond Seoul.

Lee made the remarks on X, formerly Twitter, sharing a news article about the record-breaking figures. "As of Tuesday, the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea this year has broken the all-time record," Lee said.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, this year's foreign visitor count has surpassed the previous annual record of about 18.94 million. The ministry reached that conclusion based on a preliminary tally of about 18.91 million visitors recorded through Monday, combined with a daily average of roughly 64,000 foreign arrivals this year.

"The interest that K-culture has generated is translating into travel to Korea," Lee said. "We are deeply grateful to the foreign visitors who travel across South Korea, share its beauty and charm with the world, and actively recommend Korea to others."

Lee added that Korea's appeal extends well beyond the capital. "Korea's charm is not found only in Seoul. Every region has its own nature, culture, food and stories," Lee said. "If that appeal draws more tourists, it can breathe new vitality into local economies."

Tourism also presents a key opportunity to ease the hollowing-out of regions and narrow the gap between the Greater Seoul area and the rest of the country, Lee said.