The number of Japanese people visiting South Korea for tourism purposes has been nearing a record high level despite the current diplomatic tension between the two countries. 

In its social media account on Friday, the Yomiuri Shimbun cited data from the Korea Tourism Organization that showed the number of Japanese tourists to Korea in the January to September period stood at around two-point-five million.

It is an increase of 19-point-five percent from the same period last year and only around 277-thousand fewer than the highest-ever figure for the nine-month period recorded in 2012. 

Yomiuri said the growing popularity of South Korean culture and discounted flight tickets contributed to the numbers, adding that the conflict between the two countries did not seem to have had as strong a psychological impact on Japanese people compared to Koreans. 

The newspaper, however, pointed out that the trend may not last given the recent signs of lower numbers of Japanese tourists visiting Korea.