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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanWhere Do Foreigners Actually Go in Korea? (2025 Survey)
Checked Sept 30, 2026
Most visitors go to Seoul, and in Seoul most go to Myeongdong. In Korea's 2025 International Visitor Survey, 76.8% of foreign visitors went to Seoul, 15.7% to Busan, 11.2% to Gyeonggi and 9.7% to Jeju. Seoul's own survey found 75.8% of its foreign visitors walked through Myeongdong (명동). The place rising fastest is Seongsu-dong (성수동).
On Threads, the question I see most from people planning Korea is simple: where should I go? I'm Korean, but I'm at the age where I honestly don't know where visitors go these days. So I read the government's own surveys, in Korean, and pulled out the numbers that help you plan.
Jump to: Which regions · Where in Seoul · Liked best · By country · What people enjoy · Why Seongsu · Using this to plan · How the surveys work · FAQ
Which parts of Korea do foreign visitors go to?
Seoul, by a long way. The national survey asks departing visitors at airports and ports which of Korea's 17 provinces and cities they visited. People can name more than one, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
| Region | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul (서울) | 78.4% | 76.8% |
| Busan (부산) | 16.2% | 15.7% |
| Gyeonggi (경기) | 10.0% | 11.2% |
| Jeju (제주) | 9.9% | 9.7% |
Seoul slipped a little and Gyeonggi, the province around Seoul, grew.
Where in Seoul do foreigners actually go?
Seoul Tourism Organization interviewed 6,067 foreign visitors at Incheon and Gimpo airports and Airport Railroad stations between May and December 2025. Here are the places they had been.
| Place | Visited, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Myeongdong (명동) | 75.8% |
| Hongdae, Sinchon, Hapjeong (홍대·신촌·합정) | 42.2% |
| Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁) | 42.2% |
| Dongdaemun and its market (동대문) | 38.3% |
| Gangnam Station area (강남역) | 36.9% |
| Gwangjang Market (광장시장) | 31.4% |
| Seoul Forest and Seongsu (서울숲·성수) | 29.3% |
| Namdaemun Market (남대문시장) | 23.9% |
| Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을) | 23.1% |
| Insadong, Samcheong-dong, Ikseon-dong (인사동·삼청동·익선동) | 22.3% |
| N Seoul Tower (N서울타워) | 22.2% |
| COEX Mall (코엑스몰) | 18.6% |
| Gwanghwamun Square (광화문광장) | 18.1% |
| Euljiro alleys (을지로) | 17.4% |
| Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) | 16.6% |
Myeongdong has been first in every year of this survey that I checked: 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025. What's new in 2025 is Seoul Forest and Seongsu. The report singles it out as the new name in the top ten.
Which place did visitors like best?
The national survey also asks one open question: what was the best place you visited in Korea? People write the answer in their own words. In 2025 the top answers were:
| Best place of the trip | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Myeongdong | 16.1% | 17.3% |
| Hongdae | 7.6% | 7.4% |
| Gyeongbokgung Palace | 8.4% | 7.0% |
| Seongsu-dong | 2.5% | 5.0% |
| Gangnam | 4.4% | 4.5% |
| Udo island, Jeju (우도) | 2.1% | 2.8% |
| Haeundae, Busan (해운대) | 2.6% | 2.4% |
| Dongdaemun | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Busan city, general (부산) | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| DMZ | 1.4% | 1.6% |
Seongsu doubled in a year. In the newest quarter, April to June 2026, it reached 9.6% and moved into second place behind Myeongdong (18.3%). Those 2026 figures are provisional.
Do Americans and Europeans like different places?
Yes, and this is the part I found most useful. For visitors from the US, UK and Canada, the palace beats Myeongdong. Visitors from Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia lean much more to Myeongdong.
| Best place, 2025 | Gyeongbokgung | Myeongdong | Gangnam | DMZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 9.7% | 7.4% | 6.1% | 4.8% |
| UK | 11.1% | 6.4% | 6.6% | 3.8% |
| Canada | 11.8% | 8.0% | 9.0% | 5.1% |
| Australia | 9.3% | 11.0% | 3.7% | 3.6% |
| All visitors | 7.0% | 17.3% | 4.5% | 1.6% |
Seoul's survey shows the same pattern in where people go. Visitors from Europe went to Gyeongbokgung more than anywhere else (80.8%), then Myeongdong (71.1%), Gangnam Station (60.5%), N Seoul Tower (56.0%) and Bukchon Hanok Village (55.6%). Visitors from the Americas: Gyeongbokgung 65.8%, Myeongdong 63.7%, Gangnam Station 47.9%, Gwangjang Market 42.8%.
What do visitors actually enjoy?
Eating and shopping, far ahead of everything else. In the 2025 national survey, 81.6% went on food trips and 80.3% shopped. Asked which activities they were satisfied with, 66.0% chose food and 61.4% chose shopping. Nature and scenery came third (35.8%), palaces and historic sites fourth (24.6%).
Two small shifts from 2024: rest and relaxing went from 13.4% to 17.4% of visitors, and K-pop and drama filming spots from 11.7% to 13.5%. Visits to palaces and historic sites went down, from 38.8% to 35.3%.
Seoul's survey adds one detail I didn't expect. The report notes that looking at the city skyline, night views and modern buildings was something many visitors did, but fewer named it as something they enjoyed. My own take: if your plan has a lot of viewpoints and little food, give it a second look.
Why is Seongsu-dong rising so fast?
Seongsu is an old factory and shoemaking district next to Seoul Forest. The factories and workshops are now cafés, fashion flagships and K-beauty stores, and many brands open short-term pop-up stores there.
The numbers line up across both surveys. It wasn't in Seoul's 2024 top ten (the survey's place list changed that year, so take that loosely); in 2025, 29.3% of Seoul's foreign visitors went. As "best place" it went 2.5%, 5.0%, then 9.6%. And the national survey notes the share rose for visitors from every country it reports.
I'm walking Seongsu myself next, to see whether it's worth a day of your trip. That post is coming.
How can you use this to plan your trip?
- Most Seoul visitors end up in Myeongdong. Three in four went, so you will likely pass through anyway.
- If you're from the US, UK or Canada, people like you named Gyeongbokgung their favourite place more often than anywhere else. Pair it with Bukchon and Insadong, which sit east and south-east of the palace.
- Plan around food. It's what visitors enjoyed most, and Gwangjang Market is on 3 in 10 itineraries.
- Seongsu is the newer choice for cafés and shopping. Go on the Seoul Subway Line 2 to Seongsu Station, or the Suin-Bundang Line to Seoul Forest Station.
- The DMZ is a small share overall (1.6%), but visitors from the US (4.8%) and Canada (5.1%) name it about three times as often.
Getting between these is easy on the subway. Start with Seoul subway basics and which transit card to buy. If you're landing at Incheon, see every way from the airport to Seoul.
How do these surveys work?
The International Visitor Survey is run by Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. The survey asks foreign visitors aged 15 and over, staying 90 days or less, as they leave Korea through its international airports and seaports. In 2025 there were 16,110 completed surveys. The Seoul Tourism Survey is run by Seoul Tourism Organization, face to face on tablets, at Incheon and Gimpo airports and Airport Railroad stations.
Both count people who already left, so they tell you what visitors did, not what they wished they had done. The Seoul survey changed its list of places between years, so small year-to-year changes there are rough.
FAQ
What is the most visited place in Seoul by foreigners?
Myeongdong. In 2025, 75.8% of foreign visitors to Seoul went there, according to Seoul's own survey.
What percentage of tourists visit places outside Seoul?
In 2025, 15.7% of foreign visitors went to Busan, 11.2% to Gyeonggi and 9.7% to Jeju. Seoul was 76.8%.
Is Seongsu-dong worth visiting?
It's the fastest-rising favourite in the national survey: 2.5% named it their best place in 2024, 5.0% in 2025 and 9.6% in April to June 2026. It suits people who want cafés, fashion and K-beauty stores.
What do tourists enjoy most in Korea?
Food and shopping. In 2025, 66.0% named food and 61.4% named shopping among the activities they were satisfied with.
Things to keep in mind:
- The April to June 2026 figures are provisional. A final 2026 report will follow.
- "Best place" is written in each visitor's own words and grouped by the survey team, so small shares are rough.
- The Seoul survey counts visitors to Seoul, not all visitors to Korea, and its place list changed between years.
Where should you go? Now I have an answer backed by 16,110 people who just left. Food, Gyeongbokgung, and a day in Seongsu, which I'm off to check for myself.
More ways to explore Seoul
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