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According to a survey conducted in South Korea throughout 2024, around **** percent of tourists stated that they chose South Korea as a travel destination in order to take food or gourmet tours. Other popular reasons included going shopping and experiencing nature. **** percent wanted to partake in K-pop or other pop culture-related activities.

International popularity of South Korean cuisine

A 2023 survey found that Korean cuisine enjoyed high popularity worldwide, and was consequently also often available for purchase overseas. Korean fried chicken was the most popular Korean dish internationally, ahead of several other famous dishes. In 2023, restaurant expenses made up the largest share of expenditure among tourists in South Korea, even ahead of basic travel costs such as transportation and accommodation. Other food and beverage purchases, such as supermarket visits or street food vendors, accounted for an additional percent of spending, making food a major focus of visitors.

K-pop drawing in fans

While Korean cuisine was the biggest draw for travelers visiting South Korea, the cultural phenomenon people abroad most strongly associated with South Korea was its pop culture, most notably K-pop. The term “hallyu” refers to the global increase in interest in, and the popularity of, South Korean pop culture, ranging from K-pop to K-dramas and related industries. Hallyu tourism has become its own type of tourism, with **** percent of tourists in 2024 visiting the country specifically for that purpose. This was particularly common among other Asian tourists, with about ** percent of Filipino tourists visiting for hallyu-related experiences. Most of these hallyu tourists were female, and in the age range of *** years, though it was also a notable attraction for older travelers.