SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Despite the ongoing dispute between South Korea and Japan, the number of Koreans traveling to Japan is increasing, government data showed Monday.
When the Japanese government reopened its borders last October, some 123,000 Koreans reportedly visited Japan that month, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.
The number gradually climbed to 565,000 people last month, accounting for 37.7 percent of all foreign travelers to Japan.
Most flight tickets from South Korea to Japan on Wednesday, which marks the 103rd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement against Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule, have sold out.
“Despite the tendency for older generations to be more sensitive towards history and politics, the recent transition in generations has blurred that sensitivity,” pop culture critic Jung Duk-hyun said.
“More people are starting to think that history and cultural consumption are separate issues.”
The weakening Japanese yen, the short flight, and consumer prices similar to South Korea’s are adding to the popularity of Japan as a travel destination.
Image Credit: Yonhap. / photonews@koreabizwire.com
