The number of foreign tourists who visited South Korea during the first half of the year jumped 14-point-six percent on-year to eight-point-83 million.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization on Thursday, eight-point-83 million foreign travelers entered the country between January and June, which is 104-point-six percent of the tally from the first half of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The largest portion hailed from China at two-point-53 million, followed by one-point-62 million from Japan, 860-thousand from Taiwan and 730-thousand from the United States.

The number of South Koreans who traveled overseas stood at 14-point-56 million in the first half, 97 percent of the total in the January-to-June period in 2019.

In the month of June alone, one-point-62 million foreigners visited the country, up 14-point-two percent year-on-year, while two-point-23 million South Koreans traveled abroad.