Methodology — The Attractions Index

Source: Visitor Statistics for Major Tourist Sites (주요관광지점 입장객통계), 국가승인통계 제113005호 — a national statistic compiled by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute, published via the Tourism Knowledge & Information System (know.tour.go.kr). Data year: 2025. Retrieved 2026-08-29.
How the ranking works: There is no formula. Sites are sorted by reported admissions — foreign admissions for the foreign table, totals for the combined one. We reproduce the numbers; we do not weight, adjust, or editorialize them.
Update cadence: The source publishes monthly with a reporting lag. We refresh this index when a full year is available, and label the data year on the index page.

Limits worth knowing before you cite this

Only sites that count admissions exist in this statistic. Palaces, museums and theme parks have gates; Myeongdong and Gwangjang Market do not. Their absence from the ranking is a property of the statistic’s definition, not evidence that nobody goes.
The foreign ranking covers a subset. Of 2,295 reporting sites, only 381 report a domestic/foreign split with foreign admissions above zero. A site missing from the foreign table may simply not split its count.
Admissions are not unique visitors. One person visiting twice counts twice, and sites with free entry estimate rather than count. Treat small gaps between neighbouring ranks accordingly.