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Foreign visitors' card spending in Seoul jumped nearly 58 percent from a year earlier in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 8.84 trillion won ($6.57 billion), city government data showed Tuesday. Yonhap reports the surge was driven by a record number of visitors. The Seoul Metropolitan Government released the figures, which KBS World also covered, noting the spending amounted to about 8.8 trillion won. Korean media framed the increase as a sign of the city's growing global appeal, with the Korea Times noting municipal authorities are working to capitalize on Seoul's international popularity, such as through a Seoul-branded pop-up store at Seoul Forest that drew 43,000 visitors, with foreigners making up one-quarter of attendees.