This was stated by Sandra Mullard, a member of the South Korean Tourism Organization.
In an interview with Visit7Wonders, the official said “in 2025 we had more than 17 million foreign tourists who have come from all over the world, this is a very positive increase for South Korea.”
In reference to the most chosen in the country by tourists, he detailed “the most visited places are: Seoul, which is a very modern capital with a very interesting historical heritage, they also visit Busan which is the second largest city in Korea, and of course the Island of Jeju, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in the world, is also the largest island in Korea that is just an hour’s flight from Seoul.”
Since Jeju Island was elected as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, the place has gained greater interest from visitors, “many tourists visit the place and the air route between Seoul and Jeju is the most traveled in the world,” he said.
And he highlighted that people visit “the wonderful island of Jeju because they love the landscapes of the place, its natural environment, its beautiful beaches and the culture.”
And he added that in addition to these popular destinations, in Korea there are many smaller towns that are very picturesque and interesting and offer unique experiences for visitors. As for the expectations for this year, Sandra Mullard said that “we expect many tourists this year, we are offering mountain tourism, hiking, cycling, we also offer wellness tourism with beautiful Spa, and with activities in the Buddhist temples of the mountains, we offer this very interesting experience and beyond that South Korea offers activities for all tastes.
He also said “South Korea is a very safe country that can be visited all year round, spring and autumn are very good times for tourism, summer is nice to enjoy the beaches, and winter offers very good activities too.”
Projections
By 2026, South Korea has ambitious projections for its tourism industry, driven by a record start to the year and the immense popularity of the Korean cultural swell (K-pop/BTS). The country is consolidating its position as one of the most visited destinations in Asia, with a strong rebound that exceeded 2019 levels after the pandemic.
According to reports from April 2026, tourism has experienced a historic boom. In the first quarter alone, the country recorded approximately 4.76 million international tourists, an increase of 23% compared to previous periods. And by the end of the year, the goal is to receive more than 30 million foreign visitors.
It should be remembered that in 2025, South Korea recorded an all-time record, exceeding 18.7 million foreign visitors according to forecasts from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. This boom was driven mainly by the global popularity of the Korean wase (hallyu), highlighting a strong increase in tourists from China, Asia, Canada and Australia.