According to preliminary data from the Korea Tourism Organization, South Korea welcomed more than eight million visitors in the first half of 2016.
That represents a 21% increase compared to the same period last year.
KTO says about 1.5 million foreign tourists came last month which is double the number from June 2015 when tourism suffered a huge dip due to the MERS outbreak.
The Japanese market, which had been in decline for several years, rebounded with a 10% increase in arrivals while there was a sharp upturn in tourists visiting from India, Indonesia and Vietnam.
KTO overseas marketing department head Ahn Deok-soo said the agency will target high quality tourists and market medical tourism programs for the remainder of the year.
