South Korea reported a record 2.06 million foreign visitors in March, with the comeback tour of K-pop supergroup BTS credited for boosting tourism spending. This monthly record contributed to a strong first quarter for the country.

South Korea welcomed a record 2.06 million foreign visitors in March, led by Chinese arrivals, government data showed on Thursday, with tourism spending lifted ‌by the comeback tour of K-pop supergroup BTS after a years-long hiatus. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the monthly record helped lift first-quarter arrivals by 23 per cent from a year ago to 4.76 million, also a record for a first quarter. It attributed the trend to the “worldwide popularity of [Korean] culture”,...