K-Wave Spending Hits 1.413 Trillion Won in May Without Major BTS Concerts

Even in May 2026, when there were no large-scale BTS performances, global Korean Wave consumption by foreign visitors to Korea was tallied at 1.413 trillion won, breaking all-time records. This is a 6.3% increase from the 1.3287 trillion won recorded the previous month and a sharp surge of 73.7% compared to May 2025.

Korean Wave consumption has exceeded 1 trillion won for three consecutive months. Unlike the recent trend where large events such as BTS's Gwanghwamun comeback performance in March 2026 and the Goyang world tour in April continued, the May record was achieved without any 'mega events' gathering the global fandom in one place.

May Korean Wave Consumption Reaches 1.413 Trillion Won

Global Korean Wave consumption is an amount calculated by excluding essential expenses such as accommodation and transportation from the credit card payment records of foreign visitors, and including only industries directly related to the Korean Wave, such as concert attendance, shopping, cultural experiences, fashion, and sports viewing.

This indicator began its upward trend in August 2025 at approximately 750.4 billion won and rose to approximately 962 billion won in November 2025. Afterward, it briefly dipped to the 640 billion won range in February 2026, but has since returned to an increasing trend.

10 Million Foreign Visitors, One Month Faster Than Last Year

The scale of foreign tourists visiting Korea has also expanded. As of the third weekend of June 2026, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea has exceeded 10 million based on provisional counts. This is about one month faster than when the 10 million mark was surpassed in mid-July 2025.

In May 2026, the number of foreign visitors to Korea was 1.95 million, a 19.4% increase from the 1.63 million in May 2025. By cumulative nationality, Chinese tourists ranked first with 2.56 million, followed by Japanese at 1.6 million, Taiwan at 920,000, and Hong Kong. Inflow from long-distance markets also continued, with over 800,000 from the Americas and over 600,000 from Europe.

Shopping at 39.1%, Busan Welcome Center in Operation

In May 2026, the proportion of Korean Wave consumption by industry was highest in shopping at 39.1%. This was followed by beauty/wellness at 21.1%, fashion at 14.3%, lifestyle/food at 11.9%, and Korean cuisine at 10.3%. The shopping sector, including duty-free shops, department stores, and outlets, accounted for the largest share.

Among major activity keywords, concert attendance was the most frequent with approximately 26,000 cases. Fandom activities (deokjil) accounted for approximately 7,900 cases, visits to drama/movie filming locations for approximately 5,000 cases, and learning K-pop dance for approximately 2,300 cases. There were also approximately 700 cases of direct visits to major entertainment agencies such as HYBE, SM Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment.

Specialized regional spaces are also in operation. At the Eurasia Platform in Busan Station, Dong-gu, Busan, the BTS THE CITY Arirang Busan Welcome Center has been established to provide tourist information, luggage storage, and delivery services to foreign tourists. This location features a music experience zone, a K-beauty zone, Photoism, and a Google Gemini AI experience booth.

Paradise Hotel Busan is operating as an official IP hotel in connection with the BTS World Tour Arirang IN Busan concert. Throughout the hotel, themed rooms utilizing BTS IP and tour-themed spaces such as Arirang Garden and Ocean Pool Lounge have been created.