The Justice Ministry says the number of foreigners visiting and departing South Korea posted a record high seven-point-five million in the first half of the year, up 18 percent year-on-year.

The ministry said Monday that the number of foreign entrants excluding flight attendants stood at three-point-three million. One-and-a-half million of them were Japanese, accounting for 45 percent. Sixteen percent were Chinese and about ten percent were Americans.

Meanwhile, the number of Koreans going abroad or visiting the nation came in at nine-point-two million in the first six months, down 31 percent on year.