The number of South Koreans visiting China surged 40-point-six percent in the first eight months of 2025 compared with a year earlier, far outpacing growth in trips to Japan, data showed Wednesday.

According to figures compiled by the Korea Tourism Organization and the Ministry of Justice, about one-point-98 million South Koreans traveled to China between January and August — up 573-thousand from the same period last year.

The sharp increase is attributed to Beijing’s 30-day visa-free policy, which has been in effect since November 2024 and runs through the end of this year, prompting a steady monthly flow of about 250-thousand to 260-thousand visitors.

By comparison, South Korean travel to Japan rose just five-point-one percent during the same period, while visits to Vietnam fell three-point-three percent and travel to the Philippines and Thailand saw respective declines of 16 percent and 16-point-eight percent.

Tourism officials said the visa exemption, coupled with China’s push to host more cultural and tourism events, is expected to sustain the upward trend in South Korean travel to Chinese cities in the coming months.