South Korea passes 10 million foreign visitors in a year for first time

In late 2012, South Korea passed 10 million foreign visitor arrivals in one calendar year, a milestone no previous year had reached. The country ended 2012 with roughly 11 million international arrivals, according to official tourism figures.

The growth was driven mainly by travellers from neighbouring Asian markets. Japan remained the largest source of visitors, while China was rising quickly as more Chinese travellers could afford overseas trips. Government agencies, including the Korea Tourism Organization, had spent years promoting the country abroad and easing visa rules for some nationalities.

The rise of Korean popular culture, known as the Korean Wave or Hallyu, also played a part. K-pop, television dramas and, in 2012, the global hit "Gangnam Style" by the singer Psy raised the country's profile with younger audiences worldwide.

The milestone mattered because it showed tourism becoming a significant part of the economy and reinforced official ambitions to attract still larger numbers in the following years. It became the baseline against which later records, including the latest surpassing of 20 million visitors, are measured.