Korea’s tourism industry is slowly recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a significant part of this recovery comes from Japanese tourists. According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Japanese tourists make up the largest group of travelers to Korea during the first two months of 2023. In February 2023, the number of global tourists to Korea increased nearly four times as much compared to the same period in the previous year. Approximately one out of five of these travelers came from Japan, with over 94,000 Japanese visitors in that month alone. The KTO explained that the resumption of the visa waiver and the increase in flights between Korea and Japan contributed to the influx of travelers from the country. Korean culture and interest in Korean dramas on Netflix have also drawn Japanese visitors to Korea. To attract more Japanese tourists, the KTO plans to launch several online campaigns promoting Korean culture and will be holding a K-Tourism Road Show in five Japanese cities. Japan also ranks highest in terms of retention rate among visiting countries. The KTO and the Korea Airport Corporation aim to make domestic travel more convenient to encourage Japanese travelers to visit regional destinations other than Seoul. As the Japanese government downgrades the COVID-19 infectious disease level, more Japanese tourists are expected to visit Korea. In February 2023, Korea saw a 1,430 percent increase in outbound tourism, with over 172.5 million Koreans traveling abroad.