The number of Japanese visitors to South Korea keeps on rising,... despite the two nations' less-than-favorable diplomatic ties.
Kan Hyeong-woo tells us why.
South Korea's tourism industry is welcoming the rising wave of Japanese visitors.
Despite worsening diplomatic relations between Seoul and Tokyo due to the recent South Korea-Japan radar lock dispute and the South Korean Supreme Court's ruling in favor of forced labor victims,... the number of Japanese visitors to South Korea keeps going up and up.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization,... the number of Japanese visitors posted more than 20 percent on-month increases in January and February.
It says Japan's younger generations, who are mostly undeterred by political or diplomatic issues and more interested in K-pop, fashion and beauty, are one of the main driving factors behind the upswing.
With the 'golden week' - a ten-day long break in Japan - coming up at the end of April,... South Korea will see the number of visitors from Japan swell during the holidays.
According to global tour agency - Trip.com - flight bookings from Japan to South Korea during golden week have soared by 361-percent compared to the same period last year.
Global tour search engine - Skyscanner - also released a report that shows Seoul is the most searched for destination by Japanese during the upcoming golden week.
Earlier this month,... the Korea Tourism Organization held a convention in Fukuoka to promote the new Hallyu - the boom of Korean culture, entertainment and products that have spread across the world.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News