S. Korea's annual foreign arrivals surpass 20 mln for 1st time

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SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- The annual number of foreign visitors to South Korea ...

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- The annual number of foreign visitors to South Korea surpassed 20 million for the first time this year, the culture ministry said Thursday.

Kim Dae-hyun, the second vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, visited Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to Seoul, to welcome the 20 millionth visitor on Thursday.

It took the country 14 years to reach the milestone after annual arrivals exceeded 10 million in 2012.

The government attributed the record number of visitors to several factors, including the global popularity of South Korean pop culture and the country's hospitality toward foreign tourists.

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Chae Hwi-young said the milestone marked a "starting point" for South Korea's push to become an "irreplaceable tourism powerhouse."

"The government will build the capacity to annually attract 30 million foreign visitors and usher in an era of 40 million visitors," Chae said.

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