Travelers between Japan, S. Korea Hit Record High in 2025

Seoul, Jan. 31 (Jiji Press)--The number of people who traveled between Japan and South Korea in 2025 exceeded 13 million to hit an annual record high, statistics from the two countries have shown.

The Korea Tourism Organization said Friday that about 3,653,000 Japanese tourists visited South Korea last year, up 13.3 pct from 2024. The Japan National Tourism Organization said earlier that the number of South Koreans who visited Japan in 2025 grew 7.3 pct to an estimated 9,459,600.

Travel to Japan, including to regional destinations, is becoming popular among South Koreans thanks to improved relations between Tokyo and Seoul.

The rise in the number of Japanese visitors to South Korea is partly attributable to the growing interest in K-pop music mainly among young people and an increase in flights between the two countries, including to and from regional airports.

Travelers between the two East Asian nations have been on the increase since 2022, when COVID-19 border measures were eased.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]