Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport on July 8 (Yonhap News)

By Lee Jihae

The number of foreign visitors who came for study or training reached an all-time high of 108,000.

In a first since such data was compiled, Vietnamese topped the list of such travelers by nationality.

The Ministry of Data and Statistics on July 9 quoted data on international migration last year as saying 685,000 foreign visitors stayed in Korea for 90 days or more, 74,000 more than the 611,000 who left the country. This was the fourth consecutive year for the number of arrivals to outpace that of departures.

The number of foreign nationals entering for study or general training rose from about 66,000 before the COVID-19 pandemic to the 80,000 range afterward. Last year was the first time for the figure to surpass 100,000.

The number of international travelers fell 5.1% from 2024, as those on short visits under visa waiver programs and those entering for non-professional employment declined.

By nationality, Vietnam had the most visitors (98,000), edging China (94,000) for the top spot. Last year was the first since statistics on this were launched for China not to lead the category.

The number of domestic arrivals dropped to 257,000 and that of departures to 233,000. The figure for outbound travelers declined for the third year in a row since 2023 to fall to its third-lowest level in history.

jihlee08@korea.kr