SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – South Korea achieved a $596.6 million tourism surplus in June 2026, marking its highest monthly figure since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This figure reflects a $1.44 billion increase compared to June 2025, which recorded an $846.8 million deficit. Data from the Korea Tourism Organization indicate that June’s surplus was the second-largest on record, with only October 2008 surpassing it at $661.5 million.
From March 2020 to February 2026, the tourism balance was in deficit for 72 months straight. In January, the shortfall reached $1.4034 billion, followed by a $1.0993 billion deficit in February. The balance turned positive in March, registering a $263.8 million surplus, and continued to stay in the black in April with $159.9 million, and in May with $220.5 million, extending the upward trend into June.
In June, tourism revenue hit $2.784 billion, while expenditures amounted to $2.1874 billion. On average, foreign visitors spent $1,397 each during the month, whereas South Korean outbound travelers spent an average of $1,091 per person. The positive difference between receipts and spending marked the fourth consecutive month of surplus, signaling a significant turnaround from the deficits recorded earlier in 2026.
Visitor numbers soar in June
In June, South Korea welcomed a total of 1,993,128 international tourists, an increase of 23.1% compared to the same month last year, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. China remained the top source market with 649,582 visitors, up 36.2% from June 2025. Japan followed with 348,216 arrivals, representing a 21.3% rise. Visitors from Taiwan numbered 223,127, while arrivals from the Americas reached 219,948, and Europe contributed 119,445 visitors.
Overall, international arrivals during the first half of 2026 totaled 10,709,919, a 21% increase over the previous year. Foreign tourists’ credit card expenditures reached 10.0389 trillion won in this period, growing by 50.8%. June alone saw 2.0544 trillion won spent via card transactions, a 66.4% rise year-over-year. Additionally, the Korea Tourism Organization recorded 395,246 international arrivals through regional airports in June, reflecting a 42.5% increase.
Spending on the rise alongside visitor numbers
Growth in tourism spending was also noted outside Korea’s main Asian source markets, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Arrivals from the Americas reached 1,077,287 in the first half of the year, an increase of 12.7% from the previous year. European visitors numbered 738,943, up 20.2%, with other long-haul markets also registering gains. The United States contributed 811,974 visitors through June, representing an 11.1% rise, while Canada’s arrivals increased by 17.1% to 157,003.
This June surplus follows three consecutive years in which South Korea’s annual tourism deficit exceeded $10 billion. In 2023, the shortfall was $10.38 billion; in 2024, it was $10.21 billion; and in 2025, it reached $10.76 billion. By June 2026, the monthly tourism balance had remained positive for four straight months. The June figures showed receipts surpassing expenditures by $596.6 million, making it the largest monthly tourism surplus since the pandemic and the second highest on record.