South Korea Tourism: President Lee Targets 30 Million Visitors by 2030 with K-Culture Boost
SEOUL — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday announced a comprehensive plan to revitalize the nation’s tourism sector, aiming to attract 30 million foreign visitors annually. The initiative, unveiled during the Expanded National Tourism Strategy Meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, focuses on expanding tourism beyond the Seoul metropolitan area and enhancing the overall visitor experience.
President Lee emphasized the crucial link between the burgeoning K-culture phenomenon and increased tourism. “The development of the cultural industry triggered by K-culture must ultimately lead to tourism,” he stated, adding that sustained growth requires benefits to be shared across the country, not concentrated in the capital. The president’s direct involvement in the meeting – the first by a South Korean leader in seven years – signals a heightened priority for the industry, traditionally overseen by the Prime Minister.
The strategy centers on two key pillars: boosting inbound demand and invigorating regional tourism. Government ministries are tasked with reforming immigration procedures, expanding capacity at regional airports, improving lodging options, and developing higher-value tourism content. According to Korea Tourism Statistics released this month, South Korea welcomed a record 18.93 million foreign visitors in 2025, a 15.7 percent increase from the 16.37 million recorded the previous year. Foreign tourist expenditure likewise rose, reaching just over 17.4 trillion won in 2025, up 21.1 percent from nearly 14.4 trillion won in 2024.
Lee underscored the require to move beyond simply increasing visitor numbers, advocating for “qualitative growth” to achieve the ambitious goal of 30 million annual visitors. He warned against complacency, noting that 80 percent of foreign tourists currently visit Seoul. “If we are satisfied with the reality that 80 percent of foreign tourists are concentrated in Seoul, the growth of the tourism industry is bound to hit a ceiling,” he said.
The President also called for a crackdown on exploitative practices targeting tourists, specifically mentioning price gouging, unfriendliness, and aggressive touting as “malicious abuses” that harm local economies. Vice Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo outlined plans to streamline immigration processes, while the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Kim Yun-duk, presented a strategy to develop regional airports as key entry points for international travelers. The acting Minister of Oceans and Fisheries detailed measures to enhance cruise tourism infrastructure. Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol briefed attendees on efforts to address price gouging.
The meeting included participation from key government officials, including Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, as well as leaders from the private sector, such as Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young announced a revised timeline, accelerating the target for 30 million annual visitors by one year, to 2030. Chae described the current moment as “the golden time for us to produce a decisive push to become a global tourism powerhouse.”