S. Korea tourist arrivals hit record high in Q1, up 23% on-year

South Korea recorded a first-quarter record of 4.76 million foreign tourist arrivals, up 23 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Thursday. The figure represents the highest first-quarter total on record, achieved despite geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that emerged in March. March alone saw around 2.06 million inbound visitors, up 27 percent from 1.61 million from a year ago, setting a new monthly record. The month coincided with the comebac