Government Touts 'Fruit' as Foreign Visitors Reach 17.11 Million... No Timeline for '30 Million' Goal, While China Visa-Free Stats Lump Six Countries Together

SEOUL

Foreign tourist arrivals to South Korea reached 17.11 million from January to September this year, up 21.5% from the same period last year. However, the "era of 30 million arrivals" set forth by the government in February as a pan-governmental measure remains framed merely as an "early realization" without a specific target year. Releasing tourism trends for September on October 22, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated that "multi-faceted efforts, including raising awareness of tourism to Korea, improving the travel environment, and expanding content, are bearing fruit." The release contained no breakdown by nationality, making it impossible to confirm through official announcements how much the visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups—rolled out by the government to stimulate domestic demand—contributed to the numbers. The statistics on unauthorized departures of group tourists released by the Ministry of Justice in July also bundled figures across six countries, including China.

Culture Ministry Says 17.11 Million Arrived Through September, Soon to Surpass Last Year’s Annual Record

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 2.06 million foreign tourists visited South Korea in September alone, up 21.1% from September of last year, pushing monthly arrivals past the 2 million mark. The cumulative 17.11 million visitors from January to September is 21.5% higher than the 14.08 million recorded during the same period last year. The ministry projected that total arrivals would surpass last year's annual total of 18.94 million within this month.

Spending outpaced the growth in visitor arrivals. Foreign credit card expenditures in the tourism sector through September reached 15.9416 trillion won, jumping 47.7% from 10.7940 trillion won in the same period last year.

Arrivals in regional areas outside the capital also increased. Visitors entering through non-capital airports through September totaled 3.24 million, accounting for 19.0% of the total and up 37.4% from a year earlier. Those entering through non-capital seaports totaled 1.58 million, representing 9.2% of the total and marking a 14.5% increase.

In its February materials, the ministry featured a photo of a ceremony held on December 23 last year welcoming a Singaporean tourist who was the 18.5 millionth foreign visitor. On June 24, it issued a press release titled "Foreign Tourist Arrivals to Korea Surpass 10 Million in 2026," reflecting inbound tourism performance through May.

Government's 30 Million Target Presented as 'Early Realization' Without Target Year

The government's tourism target was unveiled on February 25 this year at the 11th National Tourism Strategy Meeting. Chaired by then-Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, the meeting was attended by 15 central government ministries and agencies and around 60 officials from industry, associations, and corporations. The ministry announced the meeting's outcomes under the title "Accelerating the Era of 30 Million K-Tourism Arrivals." Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young described the spread of K-culture and favorable external conditions as a "golden time" for the growth of South Korean tourism.

At a pre-briefing on the same day, Kang Jeong-won, Director General of the Tourism Policy Bureau, said, "We have prepared pan-governmental measures for the early realization of an era of 30 million arrivals." The briefing document also included the statement, "We will realize an era of 30 million foreign visitors." The only agenda item with specific years attached at the briefing was the three-year "Visit Korea Year" campaign running from 2027 to 2029. Explaining the campaign during a Q&A session, Kang said, "Under the strategy of achieving our goal of 30 million early..." The year 2030 mentioned during the briefing was tied to a forecast that global international tourist arrivals would reach 2 billion.

The only baseline figures provided were last year's performance. The government presented 18.94 million foreign tourists in 2025 as the all-time high for arrivals and announced that tourism export revenue last year was approximately 39 trillion won. The 30 million figure is more than 11 million higher than last year's tally.

The meeting's agenda centered on easing immigration procedures, developing regional airports into hubs, enhancing cruise-handling infrastructure, overhauling the lodging system, and eradicating price gouging. The government listed several initiatives to spur demand: launching a pilot "Regional Love Vacation Support" program in April to reimburse 50% of travel expenses in depopulating regions, and issuing 200,000 lodging discount coupons for non-capital areas. Automated immigration clearance eligibility will be expanded from the current 18 countries to include the European Union (EU) and others. Accommodation oversight will be expanded from approximately 3,000 tourism lodging businesses to around 27,000 facilities, including general and living lodging businesses, with plans to enact a tentatively named "Lodging Business Act." Eligibility criteria for designation as an excellent medical tourism attraction agency were lowered from 500 cases (top 5%) to 200 cases (top 10%). Direct international flights to regional airports will receive incentives such as fee waivers for airport facilities, while cruise ships will benefit from expedited screening for multi-port calls and 24-hour operations at the Busan North Port terminal, piloted first at the Port of Busan.

Questions regarding specific timelines for these tasks drew noncommittal responses. Asked about plans to expand international routes at regional airports, Kim Young-hye, Director of the Aviation Policy Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, replied, "It is difficult for me to say right now which routes will be expanded at which airports." Regarding price gouging, Kang Ki-ryong, Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, noted, "There is no legal basis to penalize the recent controversial cases," adding on the timing of legislation, "Our goal is to amend the law within the first half of the year." Explaining the severity of penalties, Kang said, "Instead of issuing a corrective order on the first offense, it will result in a five-day business suspension." Asked about enforcement personnel, Kang answered, "I believe we can sufficiently respond with the current staffing and organization of the central and local governments."

Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tour Groups Finalized at Prime Minister-Led Meeting Just a Month After Justice Ministry Claimed 'Nothing Decided'

Visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups was decided in a short span last summer. On July 7, 2025, in response to reports that "Government Considers Making Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tour Groups Permanent," the Ministry of Justice issued a notice stating, "We provide clarification as there are inaccurate parts." The ministry stated that regarding temporary visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups, "no implementation plan or duration has been decided." It also stated, "Please be advised that we have not reviewed at all" making visa-free entry for tour groups permanent or expanding visa waivers for individual travelers. It added that extending the temporary exemption period for the electronic travel authorization (K-ETA) had not been discussed either.

A month later, on August 6, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok chaired the "Mini Policy Task Force for Tourism Revitalization" at the Government Complex Seoul and announced that visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups would be permitted from September 29, 2025, to June 30, 2026. A joint press release issued by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited China's granting of visa-free entry to South Korean citizens beginning November 2024 as background, explaining that the temporary visa-free policy was finalized ahead of China's National Day holiday (October 1–7). The document explained that amid the rapid recovery of the inbound tourism market, the visa-free policy would "induce additional demand for visits to Korea," contributing to revitalizing regional economies and stimulating domestic demand. A joint release issued by related ministries on September 8 also highlighted broader economic spillovers across the tourism industry—including restaurants, lodging, and duty-free shops—and increased travel to regional destinations as expected effects.

The Ministry of Justice released the implementation plan on September 7, 2025. It allowed tour groups of three or more people organized by domestic travel agencies designated by the culture ministry and overseas designated agencies approved by South Korean diplomatic missions in China to travel nationwide without visas for up to 15 days. Jeju Special Self-Governing Province continues its existing policy allowing Chinese nationals visa-free entry for up to 30 days for both individual and group travelers. Domestic designated agencies must upload group passenger manifests to the Hi Korea portal at least 24 hours prior to entry by air and 36 hours prior to entry by sea. Registration and designation of designated travel agencies began September 15, and the government began accepting manifests on September 22 ahead of implementation, factoring in demand for China's National Day holiday in October.

On September 18, ten days before implementation, the Justice Ministry's Korea Immigration Service promoted the measure with the slogan "Enjoying K-Culture with Just a Passport, Visa-Free Group Tourism," citing "expectations of positive ripple effects across overall tourism and revitalization of regional economies."

Justice Ministry Introduces Safeguards, Revoking Designations for Agencies with Departure-Defection Rates of 2% or More

Addressing concerns over illegal stays, the government emphasized pre-screening and penalties against travel agencies. The Ministry of Justice screens group manifests prior to arrival to exclude high-risk individuals—such as those subject to entry bans or with a history of illegal stay—from visa-free entry, requiring them to obtain visas separately through diplomatic missions abroad. For domestic designated agencies, designations are immediately revoked if departures without permission occur intentionally or through collusion, and the threshold for revocation based on quarterly average defection rates was tightened from the previous 5% to 2% or higher. Agencies whose designations are revoked due to unauthorized departures cannot be re-designated for two years.

Overseas designated agencies will likewise lose their designation if their quarterly average defection rate reaches 2% or higher, and agencies that have faced business suspensions of six months or longer within the past two years are excluded from designation. The government said it would ban low-cost budget tours and forced shopping, while strengthening guide training and monitoring.

Other pillars of the government's tourism strategy also targeted China. At the February pre-briefing, Director General Kang Jeong-won stated, "Particularly for the Chinese market, our No. 1 inbound source, we will develop charter flight packages connecting third- and fourth-tier cities with our regional airports," adding that travel demand would be expanded by linking local transport networks with ferries heading to South Korea. Plans were announced to promote five-year multiple-entry visas for citizens of 11 countries in China and Southeast Asia who have visited South Korea, and 10-year multiple-entry visas for residents of major cities in China and Vietnam. For the Japanese market, the government decided to promote "30 Selected Small Towns in Korea." In September, Minister Choi Hwi-young attended a Korea-China tourism exchange event in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, and discussed cooperation measures in culture, sports, and tourism with the provincial governor. Briefing materials projected that cruise arrivals to Korea this year would reach approximately 1.7 million, bolstered by increased port calls of cruises departing from China.

The scope of visa-free group travel was also expanded. At the February meeting, the government decided to run a pilot program granting visa-free entry for tour groups of three or more people from Indonesia. Kim Jeong-do, Director General of Immigration Policy at the Ministry of Justice, explained regarding Indonesia, "Comparing just 2025 to 2024, arrivals are growing by about 18% to 19%," adding, "With just a little incentive, they will increase significantly more."

Published Defection Statistics Combine Group Visa Entrants from Six Countries Including China

The Ministry of Justice disclosed figures on group tourist defections in a press release on July 1. The ministry announced that the waiver of the $15 (approx. 22,500 won) visa issuance fee for tour groups from six countries—China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and Cambodia—would be extended from the original June 2026 deadline to December 31, 2026. This was a follow-up measure to the 11th Expanded National Tourism Strategy Meeting.

According to this document, arrivals on group visas from the six countries totaled 790,505 in 2025, up approximately 39% from 570,752 the previous year. The number of unauthorized defectors fell from 1,090 in 2024 to 525 in 2025, with the defection rate dropping from 0.19% to 0.07%. The Ministry of Justice stated, "The defection rate leading to illegal stays dropped to 0.07%, less than half the level of the previous year (0.19%)." Both the number of defectors and the defection rate were presented as aggregate figures across the six countries rather than broken down by nationality. In the same table, the combined defection rate for the six countries stood at 0.12% (944 out of 772,861) in 2019, 0.19% (106 out of 57,100) in 2020, 0.17% (16 out of 9,533) in 2022, and 0.34% (502 out of 149,352) in 2023. In 2021, there were zero group visa entrants from the six countries.

By nationality, Chinese group visa entrants reached 614,040 in 2025, up from 414,019 in 2024. However, this fell short of the 712,732 recorded in 2019. While total arrivals from the six countries surpassed 2019 levels in 2025, China's total remained 98,692 lower than six years earlier. In 2025, arrivals totaled 74,333 from Vietnam, 53,580 from the Philippines, 40,062 from Indonesia, 7,370 from Cambodia, and 1,120 from India. Chinese group visa entrants were 43,983 in 2020 and 68,058 in 2023. These statistics are based on individuals who entered after obtaining group visas. Chinese tour groups entering visa-free beginning September 29, 2025, do not undergo visa issuance procedures.

Government Assesses Visa Easing Contributed to Demand Recovery

The government cites the rise in tourist arrivals as a policy achievement. On October 22, Director General Kang Jeong-won stated regarding the increase in inbound visitors that multi-faceted efforts were "bearing fruit." In the same announcement, the ministry presented a 47.7% increase in card spending alongside a 37.4% rise in arrivals at non-capital airports.

The Ministry of Justice also highlighted the impact of its visa policies. In its July 1 press release, the ministry evaluated that while the group visa fee waiver was not the sole driver of the increase in foreign tourists, it, along with improved bilateral relations and the spread of K-culture, elevated travel sentiment toward Korea and contributed to some extent to recovering tourism demand. During the February briefing, Kim Jeong-do, Director General of Immigration Policy, remarked, "I would explain that we relaxed the visa system overall across the board to incentivize tourism." The ministry stated, "Going forward, while maintaining order in immigration control as a fundamental principle, we plan to operate and refine relevant tourist visa systems to promote regional tourism and support the public livelihood economy."

Culture Ministry to Disclose This Year's Outcomes and Next Year's Policy Direction at Press Briefing

The operational period for visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups was set through June 30, 2026, when announced in 2025. The oversight threshold established by the Justice Ministry at the time of introduction was a 2% quarterly defection rate per designated travel agency. Because the defection statistics released by the government are annual totals for group visa holders across six countries, they cannot be directly compared against the metric of quarterly defection rates for individual designated travel agencies.

Visitor arrivals continue to rise as announced by the government. The 17.11 million arrivals logged from January to September are just 1.83 million shy of last year's annual total of 18.94 million. On October 22, Director General Kang Jeong-won stated, "We plan to hold a press briefing soon to share this year's achievements in detail and introduce our policy directions for next year." The visa fee waiver for tour groups from six countries remains in effect through December 31, as announced by the Ministry of Justice.

Sources (KST)

• Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Policy Briefing) · 2026-10-22 · Cumulative Inbound Tourists Through September Reach 17.11 Million…On the Verge of Surpassing Last Year’s Annual Total of 18.94 Million · https://m.korea.kr/news/policyNewsView.do?newsId=148974123&pageIndex=1&cateId=&repCode_P=&smenu=EDS03
• Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Policy Briefing) · 2026-02-25 · Accelerating the Era of '30 Million K-Tourism Arrivals'…'Half-Price Travel' Starting April · https://www.korea.kr/news/policyNewsView.do?newsId=148959984
• Policy Briefing Ministry Briefings · 2026-02-25 · Pre-Briefing for National Tourism Strategy Meeting · https://www.korea.kr/briefing/policyBriefingView.do?newsId=156745982&pWise=sub&pWiseSub=C2
• Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Press Release · 2026-06-24 · Foreign Tourist Arrivals to Korea Surpass 10 Million in 2026 · https://www.mcst.go.kr/site/s_notice/press/pressView.jsp?pSeq=22541
• Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Photo News · 2026-09-15 · Culture Ministry and North Gyeongsang Province Review Culture, Sports, and Tourism Cooperation Plans Together (2026.09.11.–12.) · https://www.mcst.go.kr/site/s_notice/news/newsList.jsp
• Ministry of Justice Press Release · 2026-07-01 · Ministry of Justice Extends Group Visa Fee Waiver for Six Countries Including China and Vietnam 'Through End of 2026' · https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration/214/496470/download.do
• Ministry of Justice Press Release (Board) · 2026-07-01 · Ministry of Justice Extends Group Visa Fee Waiver for Six Countries Including China and Vietnam 'Through End of 2026' · https://www.moj.go.kr/bbs/moj/182/496428/download.do
• Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Release · 2025-08-06 · Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tour Groups Implemented (Sept. 29, 2025 – June 30, 2026) · https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration/214/483970/download.do
• Ministry of Justice Press Release · 2025-09-07 · Announcement of Implementation Plan for Temporary Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tour Groups · https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration/214/484963/download.do
• Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Policy Briefing) · 2025-09-08 · Temporary Visa-Free Tourism for Chinese Tour Groups Permitted Through June Next Year…Boost to Domestic Demand Expected · https://www.korea.kr/news/policyNewsView.do?newsId=148948819
• Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice · 2025-09-18 · Implementation of Temporary Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tour Groups · https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration/220/598923/artclView.do
• Ministry of Justice Notice · 2025-07-07 · Regarding Reports on 'Government Considers Making Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tour Groups Permanent' · https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration/214/596834/artclView.do