The tourism gap between South Korea and Japan is widening, as 882,000 South Koreans visited Japan last year compared to 332,000 Japanese visitors to Korea. A significant factor is the concentration of tourist attractions and infrastructure in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, which limits growth in visitor numbers. Most foreign tourists, 80.3%, visit Seoul, with over 90% visiting the metropolitan area. Regional airports like Gwangju and Sacheon lack international flights, particularly to Japan. The tourism industry suggests improving regional transportation infrastructure and increasing international flights to attract more Japanese tourists. Efforts to diversify attractions outside the metropolitan area are essential to compete with Japan's well-distributed international airports.
