S. Korean Travel to Japan Soars: 9 Million Visitors Break Record in First 4 Months

Airlines connecting South Korea and Japan saw unprecedented traffic, with almost 9 million passengers traveling during the initial four-month period this year. This figure exceeded not only last year's increase fueled by the weakened yen but also surpassed the numbers recorded before the pandemic in early 2019.

From January to April, approximately 8.88 million passengers flew between South Korea and Japan via Incheon, Gimpo, Gimhae, and Jeju airports, as reported by the Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation to Democratic Party member Lee Yeon-hee on May 6. During this time, Incheon airport recorded an average of around 49,000 daily passengers heading to Japan. Notably, figures for April 29–30 were omitted since they preceded a lengthy holiday weekend; thus, the actual passenger count probably exceeded 9 million. Compared with the corresponding timeframe last year, this represents an 8.8% growth, and relative to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, there has been a 16.2% uptick.

Specialists point out multiple reasons for this increase. Even though the yen sometimes surpassed 1,000 won, the depreciation of the yen made traveling to Japan more budget-friendly. Numerous tourists capitalized on advantageous exchange rates by pre-converting money or altering how they spent during trips. Extending the Lunar New Year holiday up to nine days was another factor that spurred international travel. Furthermore, South Korean carriers broadened their route offerings beyond just prominent Japanese urban centers, reaching lesser-known regions through collaborations with local Japanese administrations.