SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – South Korea recorded a $596.6 million tourism surplus in June 2026, marking its most robust monthly figure since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This improvement of approximately $1.44 billion compared to June 2025, which saw an $846.8 million deficit, underscores a significant recovery. According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization, June ranks as the second-highest month on record for tourism surplus, with only October 2008 surpassing it at $661.5 million.
The June result signifies South Korea’s fourth consecutive month of positive tourism balance. The country had experienced deficits for 72 straight months from March 2020 through February 2026. The deficit peaked at $1.4034 billion in January, followed by a $1.0993 billion shortfall in February. The tide turned in March, when the balance swung into a $263.8 million surplus. It continued to stay in positive territory with $159.9 million in April and $220.5 million in May.
Tourism revenues hit $2.784 billion in June, while expenditures by South Korean residents traveling abroad totaled $2.1874 billion. On average, foreign visitors spent $1,397 per person during the month, whereas outbound Korean travelers spent an average of $1,091 each. The difference between inbound tourism income and outbound expenses resulted in the $596.6 million surplus, representing the widest positive monthly balance in over 17 years.
Growth in International Visitor Numbers Across Key Markets
In June, South Korea welcomed 1,993,128 international visitors, which is a 23.1% increase compared to the same month in 2025. China remained the leading inbound tourism source with 649,582 visitors, showing a 36.2% rise from the previous year. Japan followed with 348,216 visitors, up 21.3%, while Taiwan contributed 223,127 arrivals. Tourists from the Americas totaled 219,948, and European visitors reached 119,445 during June.
For the first half of 2026, international arrivals amounted to 10,709,919, reflecting a 21% growth year-over-year. Correspondingly, foreign credit card spending on tourism in South Korea reached 10.0389 trillion won, a 50.8% increase from the first six months of 2025. June alone saw card expenditures of 2.0544 trillion won, a 66.4% rise compared to the same period in 2025. The Korea Tourism Organization also documented 395,246 international arrivals through regional airports in June, marking a 42.5% increase.
Tourism Revenue Rises with Growing Visitor Numbers
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism noted positive trends from several key long-haul markets during the first half of 2026. Arrivals from the Americas reached 1,077,287, representing a 12.7% increase over the previous year. European tourists increased by 20.2%, totaling 738,943 visitors in the first six months. The United States contributed 811,974 visitors, up 11.1%, while Canada added 157,003 arrivals, reflecting a 17.1% rise compared to the first half of 2025.
South Korea’s latest monthly tourism surplus follows three consecutive years of annual deficits exceeding $10 billion, with deficits of $10.38 billion in 2023 and $10.21 billion in 2024, and a shortfall of $10.76 billion in 2025. By June 2026, the country achieved four months in a row of positive monthly balances. June’s tourism income surpassed outbound spending by $596.6 million, marking the largest monthly surplus since the pandemic and the second highest ever recorded.