Seoul: South Korea's tourism balance reached a record surplus since the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the global appeal of the nation's pop culture, according to industry data revealed on Sunday. The Korea Tourism Organization reported that the country's travel account was in surplus by US$596.6 million in June. This marks a significant shift from June of the previous year when the deficit was recorded at $846.8 million.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the June surplus is the second-largest since October 2008, when the tourism sector recorded a $661.5 million surplus. South Korea's tourism balance had been negative for 72 consecutive months since March 2020 amid the pandemic, but it turned positive in March this year and has continued to post surpluses since then.

The data highlighted that total revenue generated from the tourism sector in June amounted to $2.78 billion, with foreign tourists spending an average of $1,397 each. Professor Kim Nam-jo of Hanyang University attributed this success to South Korea's elevated international image, spanning K-pop, popular culture, and cuisine.

Professor Kim suggested that to sustain this positive trend, the government should consider shifting its tourism policy focus from major cities like Seoul and Busan to smaller cities in rural areas, which could help maintain a travel account surplus in the long term.