Korea-Japan Tourism Gap Stings More Than Baseball Loss

[Yeo-myung] The Korea-Japan tourism gap hurts more than losing at baseball

Korea’s 8-6 loss to Japan in the World Baseball Classic on March 7 was disappointing, but another Korea-Japan gap proves more painful: tourism.

Korea attracted 18.93 million foreign tourists last year, while Japan drew 42.68 million—more than double. The tourism balance gap is even starker. Korea posted a $10.76 billion deficit last year, while Japan recorded a record surplus of 6.32 trillion yen (approximately 55.6 trillion won).

Korea actually led Japan in foreign tourist arrivals in the early 2000s. In 2012, Korea became the first of the two nations to surpass 10 million foreign visitors.

The reversal began when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to power in 2012. Abe established a tourism promotion cabinet meeting attended by all ministers, personally serving as chairman. His quantitative easing policies weakened the yen, boosting foreign visitors’ purchasing power.

Meanwhile, Korea’s tourism policy regressed. The Moon Jae-in administration, which took office in 2017, abolished the presidential secretary position for tourism promotion and downgraded the Ministry of Culture’s Tourism Policy Office to a bureau. The National Tourism Strategy Council was demoted from presidential to prime ministerial oversight.

Japan crossed 10 million tourists in 2013, 20 million in 2016, and 30 million in 2018. After a COVID-19 pause, it reached 36.9 million in 2024 and 42.68 million in 2025.

The Lee Jae-myung administration has since upgraded the Tourism Policy Bureau back to an office and plans to elevate the National Tourism Strategy Council to presidential level. President Lee attended an expanded National Tourism Strategy Council meeting at the Blue House last month, emphasizing the need for a major tourism policy shift.

However, industry observers say the meeting merely repeated the declarative goal of 30 million tourists by 2030 without presenting concrete strategies. They noted discussions focused on peripheral matters like half-price travel to Gangjin County and eliminating price gouging.

Foreign visitors still struggle with practical barriers. In Seoul, despite its advanced transportation infrastructure, foreigners cannot purchase subway tickets with international credit cards and must use cash. Many fail to book K-pop concert tickets due to Korea’s complex reservation systems and language barriers.

K-pop, led by BTS, and K-content including the film “Parasite” and Netflix series “Squid Game” and “K-pop Demon Hunters” have made Korea a destination the world wants to visit. The government’s task now is to build tourism infrastructure and develop content strategies to convert that interest into actual arrivals.

Korea’s goal of 30 million foreign tourists by 2030 is a figure Japan achieved in 2018. Japan’s 2030 target is 60 million—double Korea’s goal. President Lee should follow former Prime Minister Abe’s example by personally overseeing tourism policy to narrow the gap.

[Yeo-myung] The Korea-Japan tourism gap hurts more than losing at baseball