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South Korea has crossed the 20 million mark for annual foreign tourist arrivals for the first time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday, 14 years after the country first set the goal, KBS World reports. The milestone was reached as the global popularity of Korean culture fuels travel demand, the Korea Times reports, and Yonhap confirms the annual figure surpassed 20 million on Nov. 12. Arrivals through September had already reached 17.11 million, up 21.5 percent from the same period in 2025, putting the country on track to pass last year's full-year total, the Korea Times reported on Oct. 22. Cruise arrivals from China helped push the total, with 1.28 million foreign passengers arriving by ship in January-August, Yonhap reports. Despite the record, Korea's tourism balance stayed in deficit for a third straight month, the Korea Times reported Nov. 9. Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said the country is now working toward 30 million visitors by shifting focus from Seoul to regional areas, the Korea Times reports.