The number of air passengers traveling between South Korea and Japan has surpassed 10 million in the first five months of this year, setting a new record fueled by the weakened yen and increased flight options.
According to aviation statistics released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Friday, the South Korea-Japan route saw 10,156,796 passengers (departures and arrivals) from January to May, a 46.2% increase compared to the same period in 2023 (6,945,507).
This is the highest number recorded for the January-May period since data collection began in 2009, exceeding even pre-pandemic levels of 9,386,783 passengers in the same period of 2019.
In comparison, the number of air passengers on routes to China, another short-haul destination, was 5,072,554, roughly half that of the Japan routes.
The surge is attributed to the ongoing depreciation of the yen, making travel to Japan more affordable for South Korean tourists.
Korean airlines have responded by adding flights to meet the rising demand, with the number of flights on Japan routes increasing by 37.5%, from 39,980 in the first five months of 2023 to 54,973 in the same period this year.
The most popular routes among passengers were Incheon-Narita (1,940,818 passengers), Incheon-Kansai (1,872,442 passengers), and Incheon-Fukuoka (1,381,387 passengers).
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