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South Korea has welcomed more than 20 million foreign tourists in a single year for the first time, a milestone reached Thursday, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as reported by KBS World and Yonhap. The record comes 14 years after the country first set its sights on the target, with the global popularity of Korean culture fueling demand for travel, the Korea Times reports. Earlier estimates had already signaled the record: through September, arrivals hit 17.11 million, a 21.5 percent increase from the same period in 2025, and by late October the ministry said preliminary figures showed the annual record had already been set, Yonhap and the Korea Times reported. Despite the boom, Korea's tourism balance has remained in deficit for three consecutive months, the Korea Times reported on Nov. 9. Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said the country is now working toward an era of 30 million visitors by shifting focus from Seoul to regional areas, adding, "An unprecedented future has already arrived."