Foreign tourists in Seoul are increasingly visiting traditional markets and hiking trails beyond the city’s well-known attractions, a report showed. Dongdaemun Design Plaza recorded the largest year-on-year increase in foreign visitors at 12.1 percent in 2025, followed by Achasan at 11.8 percent, according to a report by the Seoul AI Foundation, a city-run research institute.Other locations also saw notable increases, with the Hongdae area and Naksan Park both recording a 10.5 percent year-on-year rise in foreign visitors, followed by Gwangjang Market at 10.4 percent and Gyeongbokgung at 10.2 percent. The foundation compiled the report by analyzing foreign pedestrian traffic data from mobile carrier SK Telecom and Google Maps review data for 16 major tourist attractions in Seoul last year.Myeong-dong recorded the highest daily average number of foreign visitors at 100,910, followed by N Seoul Tower at 57,370 and Samseong Station and Coex at 46,813. The report also found a notable increase in foreign visitors to Seoul’s popular hiking destinations, with daily averages of 4,015 at Bukhansan, 2,169 at Bukaksan, 1,192 at Gwanaksan and 729 at Achasan.
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