SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – South Korea achieved a tourism surplus of $596.6 million in June 2026, marking its strongest monthly performance since the onset of COVID-19. This figure reflects an improvement of $1.44 billion compared to June 2025, when the country’s balance was at an $846.8 million deficit. According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization, June’s surplus was the second-highest monthly record ever, with only October 2008 surpassing it at $661.5 million.
Prior to this, the tourism balance had been in deficit for 72 consecutive months, from March 2020 through February 2026. The start of 2026 saw significant deficits, with January posting a $1.4034 billion shortfall, followed by February’s $1.0993 billion deficit. However, the balance flipped to positive in March with a $263.8 million surplus, and continued to stay in the black in April at $159.9 million and May at $220.5 million, signaling a steady recovery into June.
In June, tourism revenue reached $2.784 billion, with total expenditures at $2.1874 billion. Visitors from abroad spent an average of $1,397 per person during the month, while South Korean outbound travelers spent an average of $1,091 each. The difference between receipts and expenditures resulted in a fourth consecutive monthly surplus, a stark contrast to the deficits seen earlier in 2026.
Visitor numbers surge notably in June
In June, South Korea hosted 1,993,128 international travelers, a 23.1% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. China remained the top source market with 649,582 visitors, reflecting a 36.2% rise from June 2025. Japan followed with 348,216 arrivals, up 21.3%. Taiwan contributed 223,127 visitors, while arrivals from the Americas reached 219,948, and European visitors numbered 119,445.
For the first half of 2026, international arrivals totaled 10,709,919, a 21% increase from the same period last year. Foreign tourists’ credit card spending reached 10.0389 trillion won, up 50.8%. In June alone, card spending hit 2.0544 trillion won, a 66.4% jump year over year. The Korea Tourism Organization also reported 395,246 international arrivals through regional airports in June, an increase of 42.5%.
Spending on tourism continues to grow alongside visitor numbers
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism highlighted increased tourism from markets beyond Korea’s main Asian sources. Arrivals from the Americas totaled 1,077,287 in the first half of the year, a rise of 12.7%. European visitors grew by 20.2% to 738,943. Other long-haul regions also saw gains; U.S. travelers numbered 811,974 through June, an 11.1% increase, while Canadian visitors increased by 17.1% to 157,003.
This June surplus concludes a three-year streak of annual tourism deficits exceeding $10 billion, with deficits amounting to $10.38 billion in 2023, $10.21 billion in 2024, and $10.76 billion in 2025. As of June 2026, the monthly tourism balance remained positive for four months in a row. The June surplus of $596.6 million represented South Korea’s largest monthly tourism gain since the pandemic and the second-highest ever recorded.