Foreign visitors to Seoul are increasingly exploring destinations beyond the city’s traditional tourist hotspots, with hiking trails, local neighborhoods, and K-culture filming locations seeing strong growth in popularity.

According to a new analysis by the Seoul AI Foundation, foreign visitor numbers rose by roughly 9% to 12% across 16 major attractions in 2025.

Myeong-dong remained the city’s most-visited destination, followed by N Seoul Tower, Samseong Station and COEX, Gangnam Station, and Hongdae.

The largest increases in visitors were recorded at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Naksan Park, and Gwangjang Market.

The study also found growing interest in K-hiking, with foreign visitors to Seoul’s mountain trails increasing noticeably. Bukhansan attracted the highest number of overseas hikers, while Achasan and Gwanaksan recorded the fastest growth.

Travel preferences varied by nationality. Visitors from Southeast Asia were more likely to visit historic attractions such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village, while Japanese and Chinese tourists favored shopping destinations including Myeong-dong, Namdaemun Market, and Gwangjang Market.

European visitors showed greater interest in Bukchon, while travelers from the Americas were more likely to visit Seoul Forest and the Seongsu area.

An analysis of Google Maps reviews found high overall satisfaction with Seoul’s attractions. Gyeongbokgung Palace received the highest average rating at 4.7 out of 5, while Seoul Forest earned the highest share of positive reviews.

However, the report noted that multilingual information, wayfinding, and visitor convenience remain areas for improvement.

USAG Yongsan

Camp Casey