SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – South Korea achieved a tourism surplus of $596.6 million in June 2026, marking its most substantial monthly gain since the COVID-19 crisis. This figure represents an improvement of $1.44 billion compared to June 2025, when the country faced an $846.8 million deficit. According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization, June’s surplus ranks as the second-highest monthly figure on record, with only October 2008 surpassing it at $661.5 million.
After 72 months of consecutive deficits starting from March 2020 through February 2026, the tourism balance finally turned positive. January 2026 saw a shortfall of $1.4034 billion, followed by a $1.0993 billion deficit in February. The trend reversed in March with a $263.8 million surplus. April and May also recorded positive balances at $159.9 million and $220.5 million, respectively, sustaining the recovery through June.
In June, tourism income reached $2.784 billion, while expenditures by travelers totaled $2.1874 billion. Visitors from abroad spent an average of $1,397 each during the month, whereas outbound Korean tourists spent an average of $1,091 per person. The difference between earnings from tourism and spending by visitors resulted in a fourth consecutive monthly surplus, a significant shift from the deficits seen earlier in 2026.
Visitor Numbers Surge in June
In June, South Korea welcomed 1,993,128 international travelers, reflecting a 23.1% rise from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. China remained the primary source of visitors, with 649,582 arrivals, up 36.2% compared to June 2025. Japan followed with 348,216 arrivals, an increase of 21.3%. Taiwan accounted for 223,127 visitors, while arrivals from the Americas reached 219,948 and Europe contributed 119,445.
Total international arrivals in the first half of 2026 numbered 10,709,919, which is a 21% increase over the previous year. During this period, foreign tourists’ credit card spending hit 10.0389 trillion won, rising by 50.8%. In June alone, card spending reached 2.0544 trillion won, a 66.4% increase year-over-year. Additionally, the Korea Tourism Organization recorded 395,246 international arrivals through regional airports in June, representing a 42.5% growth.
Tourism Spending Grows Alongside Visitor Numbers
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also noted an expansion in arrivals from markets outside Korea’s major Asian source countries. For the first half of 2026, arrivals from the Americas totaled 1,077,287, which is a 12.7% increase from the previous year. European visitors numbered 738,943, showing a 20.2% rise, with other long-haul regions also experiencing gains. The United States contributed 811,974 visitors, up 11.1%, and Canada brought in 157,003, an increase of 17.1%.
The positive trend in June’s tourism balance ended a streak of three years with annual deficits exceeding $10 billion. Those deficits reached $10.38 billion in 2023, $10.21 billion in 2024, and $10.76 billion in 2025. By June 2026, the monthly tourism balance had been positive for four consecutive months. June’s receipts surpassed expenditures by $596.6 million, marking South Korea’s largest monthly tourism surplus since the pandemic and the second-highest on record.