BTB
Outbound travel from Korea continues to grow as the total number of Koreans traveling overseas exceeded 10 million for the first time in 2005. The Department of Justice shared that the number of overseas departures by Korean nationals increased by 13.5 percent from 2004 to a record 10.37 million last year.
The total number of both Koreans and foreigners who entered and left the country in 2005 grew 10.2 percent from the previous year’s 29.6 million to 32.62 million, passing the 30 million mark for the first time. According to figures available, this figure has tripled in just fifteen years since first surpassing 10 million in 1990, at 10.05 million. China was the most frequent overseas destination at 28.7 percent, followed by Japan at 18.3 percent.
“Because the five-day workweek system has become more widespread, demand for overseas travel has grown and departure figures have jumped,” a Justice Department official told media. “If this trend continues, the total incoming and outgoing number is expected to top 50 million in five or six years.”
Six million foreigners visited Korea last year, up 4.5 percent from 2004, but that figure is still only 58 percent of the number of Koreans who visited foreign countries. The number of foreigners entering the country specifically for tourism was 4.43 million.
According to Joong Ang daily, about 30 percent of Koreans who packed their bags for trips last year were bound for China, the Ministry of Justice said yesterday, citing immigration service data. Another 18 percent went to Japan.
“The data include travel for all purposes, including business and educational travel, but the popularity of some tourism destinations made it clear that much of the increase in travel was for vacations. For example, travel to the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia was up by 20 percent each. Travel to New Zealand was off by a quarter compared to 2004, and there were 5 percent fewer Koreans who traveled to Australia,” added the report.
