Number of foreign tourists to S. Korea reaches record high in August

SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- The number of foreign tourists to South Korea topped the 900,000 mark in August this year, helped by more Chinese and Japanese visitors, the state-run tourism company said Sunday.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the figure is expected reach around 920,000 for the month, a record high.
"The number of Japanese visitors has been on a steady rise since the March 11 earthquake," said an official at the KTO. "Also, more Chinese people are visiting."
The KTO said travelers from China and Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, increased sharply as they opted for South Korea instead of visiting Japan after March's earthquake.
The KTO official expects the comparable figure for October to top the 1 million mark.
The number of foreign tourists to South Korea stood at 7.82 million in 2009, and last year's comparable figure was some 8.8 million.
sam@yna.co.kr