*Updated on 11 November 2026, with data to August 2026.*
Between January and August 2026, 10,960 tourists from South Korea arrived in Chile, 3.6% more than in the same period of 2025 (10,580), according to the official [foreign tourist arrivals](https://www.subturismo.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/202608-llegadas-de-turistas-extranjeros.xlsx) spreadsheet from the Undersecretariat of Tourism and Sernatur. In 2025 there were 16,135, almost the same as in 2024 (16,458). The record is 2018, with 22,994.
South Korea is Chile's second Asian market, after China, and its entry route is very particular: in 2025, 39.7% of South Korean tourists came in through the Hito Cajón and Ollagüe border crossings with Bolivia, in the Antofagasta Region, the route taken by those crossing from the Uyuni salt flat to San Pedro de Atacama.
South Korean tourists in Chile by year, 2008-2026
View the data as a table
| South Korea | |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 7,856 |
| 2009 | 6,582 |
| 2010 | 6,541 |
| 2011 | 9,808 |
| 2012 | 11,030 |
| 2013 | 10,796 |
| 2014 | 12,631 |
| 2015 | 16,379 |
| 2016 | 16,323 |
| 2017 | 20,410 |
| 2018 | 22,994 |
| 2019 | 19,975 |
| 2020 | 6,150 |
| 2021 | 301 |
| 2022 | 4,389 |
| 2023 | 11,598 |
| 2024 | 16,458 |
| 2025 | 16,135 |
| Year | South Korean tourists | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 7,856 | Start of the series |
| 2011 | 9,808 | +49.9% |
| 2015 | 16,379 | +29.7% |
| 2017 | 20,410 | +25.0% |
| 2018 | 22,994 | +12.7% · record |
| 2019 | 19,975 | -13.1% |
| 2020 | 6,150 | -69.2% |
| 2021 | 301 | -95.1% |
| 2022 | 4,389 | x14.6 |
| 2023 | 11,598 | +164.3% |
| 2024 | 16,458 | +41.9% |
| 2025 | 16,135 | -2.0% |
| 2026 (January-August) | 10,960 | +3.6% vs. January-August 2025 |
Source: Undersecretariat of Tourism and Sernatur, "Cuadro por Nacionalidad" sheet.
Where South Korean tourists enter Chile
| Entry point | Region | Border | South Korean tourists 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago airport (Arturo Merino Benítez) | Metropolitan | Air | 6,774 |
| Hito Cajón | Antofagasta | Bolivia | 5,073 |
| Río Don Guillermo | Magallanes | Argentina | 1,371 |
| Ollagüe | Antofagasta | Bolivia | 1,325 |
| Laurita Casas Viejas | Magallanes | Argentina | 434 |
| Cardenal Antonio Samoré | Los Lagos | Argentina | 245 |
| Cristo Redentor system | Valparaíso | Argentina | 184 |
| Río Jeinimeni | Aysén | Argentina | 180 |
| Punta Arenas airport | Magallanes | Air | 99 |
| San Sebastián | Magallanes | Argentina | 94 |
Source: "CONSULTA_DESAGREGADA" sheet of the Subturismo spreadsheet, our own sum by crossing for 2025.
Hito Cajón, on the road to San Pedro de Atacama, received 5,073 South Korean tourists in 2025, almost as many as Santiago airport. That is why Antofagasta (6,494) is almost as important as the Metropolitan Region (6,774) as a region of entry. To prepare that part of the trip, see things to do in San Pedro de Atacama and our analysis of Bolivian tourists in Chile, who use the same crossings.
Which regions South Korean tourists enter through
View the data as a table
| Metropolitana | 6,774 |
| Antofagasta | 6,494 |
| Magallanes | 2,094 |
| Los Lagos | 254 |
| Valparaíso | 186 |
| Aysén | 180 |
By region of the entry point, in 2025: Metropolitan 6,774, Antofagasta 6,494, Magallanes 2,094, Los Lagos 254, Valparaíso 186 and Aysén 180. Antofagasta and Magallanes together account for 53% of the total.
In which months South Korean tourists arrive in Chile
View the data as a table
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2,728 | 3,075 |
| Feb | 2,784 | 2,239 |
| Mar | 1,985 | 2,405 |
| Apr | 1,018 | 986 |
| May | 490 | 488 |
| Jun | 434 | 492 |
| Jul | 613 | 794 |
| Aug | 528 | 481 |
| Sep | 759 | No data |
| Oct | 1,170 | No data |
| Nov | 1,547 | No data |
| Dec | 2,079 | No data |
December, January, February and March accounted for 59.3% of 2025 arrivals (9,576 of 16,135). In 2026, January (3,075) and March (2,405) beat the same months of 2025; February fell to 2,239.
South Korean tourists compared with other Asian markets
In 2025 South Korea was the 23rd nationality by arrivals in Chile (excluding Chileans living abroad), second in Asia after China (42,857) and ahead of Japan (11,243) and India (6,100). We compare those markets in Chinese tourists in Chile, Japanese tourists in Chile and, outside Asia, in Israeli tourists in Chile.
Frequently asked questions
How many Korean tourists visit Chile?
16,135 in 2025 and 10,960 between January and August 2026, according to Subturismo and Sernatur.
Where do Koreans enter Chile?
42.7% through airports (mainly Santiago) and 39.7% through Hito Cajón and Ollagüe, on the Bolivian border, in 2025.
What was the record for South Korean tourists in Chile?
22,994 in 2018.
How to cite this data
Viajando Chile (2026). *South Korean tourists in Chile 2026: 10,960 arrivals to August, and 4 in 10 enter from Bolivia*. With data from the Undersecretariat of Tourism and Sernatur. Available at: https://viajandochile.com/en/news/south-korean-tourists-in-chile-statistics
