SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – South Korea reported a tourism surplus of $596.6 million in June 2026, the highest monthly figure since the COVID-19 pandemic began. This result is $1.44 billion better than June 2025, when the country faced an $846.8 million deficit. According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization, June’s surplus was the second-largest ever recorded. The only month with a higher surplus was October 2008, at $661.5 million.
The tourism balance had been in deficit for 72 straight months from March 2020 to February 2026. In January, the shortfall was $1.4034 billion, and in February, it was $1.0993 billion. The balance turned positive in March with a $263.8 million surplus. It stayed positive in April at $159.9 million and in May at $220.5 million, marking a recovery into June.
In June, tourism revenue reached $2.784 billion. Tourism expenses totaled $2.1874 billion. Foreign visitors spent an average of $1,397 per person in June. South Korean outbound travelers spent $1,091 on average. The gap between receipts and expenditures created a monthly surplus for the fourth consecutive month. This shift marks a stark change from the deficits earlier in 2026.
Visitor numbers surge in June
In June, South Korea hosted 1,993,128 international travelers, a 23.1% increase from the same month last year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced. China remained the top source market with 649,582 visitors, up 36.2% from June 2025. Japan followed with 348,216 arrivals, up 21.3%. Taiwan sent 223,127 visitors. Arrivals from the Americas totaled 219,948, and Europe accounted for 119,445.
During the first half of 2026, international arrivals reached 10,709,919, a 21% rise compared to the previous year. Foreign tourists’ credit card spending totaled 10.0389 trillion won, an increase of 50.8%. In June alone, card spending was 2.0544 trillion won, up 66.4% year over year. The Korea Tourism Organization also reported 395,246 international arrivals through regional airports in June, a 42.5% increase.
Tourism expenditures grow with rising visitor numbers
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism highlighted growth outside Korea’s main Asian markets. Arrivals from the Americas totaled 1,077,287 in the first half, a 12.7% increase from last year. European visitors numbered 738,943, up 20.2%. Other long-haul markets also saw gains. The United States contributed 811,974 visitors, up 11.1%, and Canada added 157,003, an increase of 17.1%.
The June surplus follows three years of annual tourism deficits exceeding $10 billion. Those deficits were $10.38 billion in 2023, $10.21 billion in 2024, and $10.76 billion in 2025. By June 2026, the monthly tourism balance has been positive for four straight months. The June surplus of $596.6 million marks South Korea’s largest monthly tourism gain since the pandemic and ranks as the second-highest on record.