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International tourists to Seoul surge to 900,000 in January despite political turmoil

Published: 10 Mar. 2025, 15:38 Updated: 10 Mar. 2025, 16:37

CHO JUNG-WOO
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Visitors in hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, take selfies near Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 10. [YONHAP]

The number of international tourists visiting Seoul peaked in January despite the political turmoil that has gripped the country since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law last December.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Monday that a total of 900,000 tourists visited the city in January, marking a full return to pre-pandemic levels.

The figure surpassed the previous peak of 880,000 recorded in January 2019, before the pandemic. The number is also a 27 percent increase compared to January last year.

The number of foreign tourists in Seoul reached 13.9 million in 2019 before dropping to 8.86 million in 2023 due to the lingering effects of the pandemic. Last year, the figure rebounded to 13.14 million.

Officials attributed the visitor surge to the city's winter festivities and the mayor’s efforts to promote Seoul as a safe travel destination.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon emphasized the city's safety during an emergency economic meeting with tourism industry officials on Dec. 11, following Yoon's brief declaration of martial law on Dec. 3. Oh also reiterated, “Seoul is safe,” at a press conference with foreign media in February.

The city government also highlighted the success of Seoul Winter Festa, the capital’s annual winter festival, which ran from Dec. 13 to Jan. 5. Nearly 5.4 million tourists — both domestic and international — attended the event, which featured a Christmas market and a lantern festival.

In January, Seoul was named the top destination for solo travelers in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Destinations for its "fascinating mix of old and new," featuring a combination of modern skyscrapers, neon lights, Buddhist temples, palaces and pagodas.

In the first half of the year, Seoul plans to participate in tourism road shows in countries such as Germany and China to attract more visitors.

By 2026, the city aims to achieve its so-called “3.3.7.7.” goal — attracting 30 million foreign tourists, with each visitor spending 3 million won ($2,063), staying for seven days and maintaining a revisit rate of 70 percent.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]