Korea is working to open an era of 30 million foreign visitors by shifting its tourism focus from Seoul to regional areas, Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said Wednesday. "An unprecedented future has already arrived and Korea is fully preparing to welcome 30 million and eventually 40 million overseas travelers," Chae said during a press conference in Seoul. "To ensure that regional tourism genuinely drives local economies, we will manage not just the total number of inbound visitors, but also focus on qualitative growth while actively addressing overtourism concerns." The country's tourism sector is currently riding a wave of record-breaking growth, with cumulative foreign tourist arrivals surpassing the 2025 annual total of 18.94 million as of Tuesday. Despite global challenges like high oil prices, inflation and the Middle East conflict, the ministry credited K-culture popularity, industry innovation and local hospitality for the steady growth. To sustain this upward momentum, the government has boosted its 2027 budget for the tourism sector to 1.756 trillion won ($1.31 billion), a 19 p