Korea's tourism balance hits record surplus since COVID-19 pandemic

SEOUL, 9th August, 2026 (WAM) -- The Republic of Korea's tourism balance hit a record surplus since the COVID-19 pandemic period, industry data showed Sunday.

The country's travel account was in the black by US$596.6 million in June, marking a dramatic turnaround from the same month a year earlier when the deficit stood at $846.8 million, Yonhap News Agency quoted data from the Korea Tourism Organisation as saying.

The June figure is the second highest since October 2008, when the country recorded a surplus of $661.5 million from the tourism sector.

Korea's tourism balance had continued to remain in the red for 72 consecutive months since March 2020, during the spread of the pandemic, but swung to the black in March this year and continued to post a surplus, the agency said.

Total revenue generated from the tourism sector in June was $2.78 billion, with each foreign tourist spending an average of $1,397 per person, the data also showed.