South Korea welcomed one-point-82 million foreign visitors in August, up 15 percent from the same month of 2019 and 16 percent higher than 2024.

According to a report the Korea Tourism Organization released Tuesday, 605-thousand tourists arrived from mainland China over the 31 days, as well as 379-thousand from Japan, 192-thousand from Taiwan, 112-thousand from the United States and 65-thousand from Hong Kong.

Total inbound visitors totaled 12-point-38 million in the first eight months of 2025, marking an increase of 16 percent from the previous year and 108 percent of prepandemic levels.

The Korea Tourism Organization told Yonhap News it expects growth to continue through fall and winter, citing the impact of K-pop-related tourism and the launch of visa-free entry for Chinese group travelers.

Koreans' outbound travel also rose, with 2-point-42 million overseas trips taking place in August, bringing the year-to-date total to 19-point-42 million, about 97 percent of 2019 levels.

The organization said demand for K-pop tickets, visits to drama locations and Korean products such as cosmetics is likely to keep supporting inbound growth.