Data released yesterday showed a significant increase in the number of foreign visitors to major commercial districts in the South Korean capital during a concert by the pop group BTS, which was recently held in Seoul. According to Yonhap, on the 21st, over 78,000 foreigners visited the Jongno district, which includes the famous Myeongdong shopping area, a 15.1% increase from the previous year. These data were collected by a statistical portal run by the Korea Tourism Organization. "Foreign visitors who come to Korea for BTS concerts are mostly young women," said an official from a local retail company. "They tend to experience fashion, beauty, and food trends that are currently popular in Korea." The Jongno district, where Gwanghwamun Square is located, had 37,000 foreign visitors, a 49.9% increase from last year, followed by Mapo district with 36,000, Gangnam with 34,000, and Yongsan with 31,000. Seongdong district, including Seongsu-dong, recorded 21,000 foreign tourists that day, a 52.6% increase from the previous year. The Korea Tourism Organization's data only covers users of roaming services provided by SK Telecom, excluding those using other networks or local SIM cards. Over the three days from the 20th to the 22nd, the growth rates reached 32% and 75%, respectively.
