Abu dhabi: The Republic of Korea welcomed nearly 2 million foreign tourists in June, bringing the total number of international tourist arrivals in the first half of 2026 to more than 10 million, government data showed on Tuesday.

According to Emirates News Agency, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reported that 1.99 million foreign tourists visited the country in June, marking a 23.1 percent increase from the previous year. This surge in visitors brought the total for the first half of the year to 10.71 million, reflecting a 21.3 percent rise compared to the same period last year.

China maintained its position as the largest source of visitors in June with 650,000 arrivals, showing the fastest growth in year-on-year numbers. Japan was the second-largest contributor with 350,000 visitors, while Taiwan accounted for 220,000 arrivals.