Eased visa rules, K-culture buzz drive record tourism boom in Korea

The useful part

Tourism in Korea has shattered historical records, driven by a surge in international visitors taking advantage of relaxed visa policies and a global obsession with Korean pop culture. The benchmark was crossed well ahead of last year's pace, when the country hit 15 million in mid-October. August alone set an all-time monthly record, drawing 2.25 million overseas travelers.

How it works

• The influx fueled record spending, with foreign credit card expenditures in the tourism sector surging 48.5 percent year-over-year to 14.02 trillion won (about $10.5 billion) through August.
• While rival tourism markets like Japan and Thailand saw slight dips of 2.7 percent and 3.1 percent over the same period, Korea's arrivals climbed sharply across all key markets.
• Taiwan led the growth in Greater China with a 32.2 percent surge, while Southeast Asian markets p

Details worth keeping

The rebound outpaces neighboring Asian destinations.