Foreign tourists take photos along the streets of Myeong-dong, June 9. Yonhap
Korea has welcomed more than 10 million foreign visitors so far this year, a provisional tally by the tourism ministry showed Wednesday, suggesting the country may be headed for a new annual high.
Foreign arrivals exceeded 10 million during the third weekend of this month, about a month earlier than last year, when the mark was reached in mid-July, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is the first time the figure has been achieved within the first half of any year.
Inbound travel has rebounded strongly, with 1.95 million visitors recorded in May alone, up 19.4 percent from a year earlier.
Chinese tourists made up the largest share in May at 560,000, followed by Japanese at 360,000 and Americans at 210,000. Travelers from Taiwan reached 190,000.
