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South Korea welcomed 17.11 million foreign visitors in the first nine months of 2026, a 21.5 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Yonhap reports the figure already surpasses 17 million and is on track to exceed last year's full-year total by October, with September alone seeing 2.06 million arrivals, up 21.1 percent year-on-year. KBS World and the Korea Times echo that the country is poised to break its annual record this month, while Korean economic daily Hankyung notes the 17.11 million tally is closing in on the 2025 full-year level. Korean media frame this as a strong tourism rebound, highlighting the pace of recovery as arrivals approach historic highs.