Japanese tourists flock to Korea

The number of Japanese tourists to Korea has shot up since the start of the holiday season in July, as fears over the spread of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus are decreasing, a state tourism agency said Wednesday, Yonhap News reported.

"The number of Japanese tourists to Korea has been on the increase since July as the influence of the new flu (on summer travel) is decreasing," said an official at the Korean Tourism Organization (KTO).

The number of Japanese travelers who visited South Korea rose 29.1 percent year-on-year to 228,000 in July, while rising 27 percent to 240,000 in August, according to data released by the KTO.