South Korea Tourism: Lee’s 30M Visitor Overhaul

SEOUL — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday called for a major overhaul of the nation’s tourism industry, aiming to attract 30 million inbound visitors by 2030 by expanding travel demand and diversifying destinations beyond Seoul.

South Korea Targets 30 Million Tourists by 2030

Government ministries have outlined a two-pillar strategy to achieve this goal: expanding inbound demand and revitalizing regional tourism. This plan is supported by reforms to immigration procedures, regional airports, lodging systems, and the development of higher value-added tourism content.

Presiding over the Expanded National Tourism Strategy Meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Lee emphasized that “the development of the cultural industry triggered by K-culture must ultimately lead to tourism.” He added that leveraging K-culture’s popularity is crucial for economic growth and job creation.

Lee stressed the need to broaden the scope of tourism throughout the Republic of Korea, noting that a key task is to expand opportunities and benefits to local businesses and commercial districts nationwide.

South Korea welcomed a record approximately 18.93 million foreign visitors in 2025, a 15.7 percent increase from the 16.369,629 visitors recorded the previous year. Total foreign tourist expenditure last year reached just over 17.4 trillion won, up 21.1 percent from nearly 14.4 trillion won the year before.

Lee cautioned against complacency, stating that concentrating 80 percent of foreign tourists in Seoul limits the industry’s growth potential. He urged officials to examine the entire visitor experience, from regional airports and cruise infrastructure to immigration and entry procedures.

The president also called for innovation in regional tourism, encouraging the use of each area’s unique assets to create compelling experiences. He warned against unfair practices such as price gouging, unfriendliness, and excessive touting, which he described as damaging to local economies.

This meeting marked the first time since 2019 that the president has personally attended the tourism strategy meeting, signaling Seoul’s commitment to making tourism a larger economic driver. The coordinating body was established in 2017 and is typically chaired by the prime minister.

Attendees included private sector leaders, such as Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin, as well as ministers and senior officials. Key ministers present were Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol, Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin, Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung, Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-duk and Minister of SMEs and Startups Han Seong-sook.

Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young presented measures for a significant shift in inbound tourism and a boost to regional tourism, stating that “this is the golden time for us to make a decisive push to become a global tourism powerhouse.” Chae announced plans to accelerate the target of attracting 30 million foreign visitors by one year, to 2030.

Vice Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo outlined plans to streamline immigration procedures, while the land minister detailed a strategy to develop regional airports as inbound tourism hubs. The acting oceans minister presented measures to enhance cruise tourism infrastructure, and the finance minister discussed steps to combat price gouging.