40 million tourists, new multipurpose domes among Culture Ministry's new goals

South Korea's Culture Ministry set an ambitious new target for inbound tourism in a presidential briefing Wednesday, and confirmed it is moving on a long-discussed domed arena for K-pop concerts and sports. The ministry now expects to reach its previous target of 30 million annual visitors a year earlier than its 2029 deadline, and set a new long-term target of 40 million. It expects 23 million visitors this year after arrivals rose 21 percent in the first half of 2026. The ministry's broader se