South Korea records 17.5 million foreign visitors in 2019, a then-record

South Korea recorded roughly 17.5 million foreign arrivals in 2019, the highest annual total in its history up to that point. The figure, compiled from national immigration and tourism statistics, marked a rise from the previous year and capped a decade of steady growth in inbound travel.

China, Japan and Taiwan were among the largest sources of visitors, while arrivals from Southeast Asia also grew. The popularity of K-pop, Korean television dramas, cosmetics and food helped draw tourists, and Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island were among the main destinations.

The record mattered because it showed how far tourism had recovered after earlier setbacks, including the 2017 dispute with China over a US missile defence system, which had sharply reduced Chinese group tours. It also became the benchmark for the industry. Weeks after the year ended, the COVID-19 pandemic began to shut borders and caused arrivals to collapse in 2020 and 2021. Officials and businesses have since measured the recovery against the 2019 level.