KPop Demon Hunters’ fever draws record foreign visitors to Seoul

Fueled in part by the global sensation of KPop Demon Hunters, a hit Netflix animation, foreign visitors to Seoul surged to a record high in July, underscoring the city’s growing appeal as a cultural destination.

Some 1.36 million international travelers arrived in the South Korean capital during the month, a 23.1% increase from the same month last year and 18% higher than in July 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday.

It was the largest monthly tally ever recorded.

From January through July, Seoul welcomed 8.28 million foreign visitors, also a record for the period, up nearly 16% from a year ago.

Officials attributed the growth to the city’s mix of traditional and modern attractions, its expanding lineup of K-content tourism experiences and year-round festivals designed to appeal to younger, global audiences.

The popularity of KPop Demon Hunters has given the city an extra boost, drawing worldwide fans eager to immerse themselves in Korea’s pop culture scene.

Visitors from Singapore rose 64.4% in the first seven months compared with the same period in 2019, followed by a 44.0% jump from Taiwan, 40.6% from the US and 34.3% from Indonesia.

City officials said efforts to attract solo travelers and promote “no-normal” experiences that highlight daily life in Seoul have also helped boost the city’s global appeal.

Seoul has recently topped several international travel rankings, including being named the most popular city among Gen Z and millennial travelers for four consecutive years by Trazee Travel, a network of journalists producing daily content for young travelers.

It was also ranked the best Asian leisure destination by Global Traveler, a global magazine geared toward luxury travelers.

“With differentiated tourism content and innovative services, we will accelerate our path to 30 million foreign visitors and build Seoul into the world’s premier tourism city,” said Koo Jong-won, head of the city’s tourism and sports bureau.

Write to Sookyung Seo at skseo@hankyung.com
Jennifer Nicholson-Breen edited this article.