Around 574,000 Chinese tourists visited Korea in June this year, making up 45 percent of the total foreign visitors that month, according to data by Tourism Knowledge and Information System and banking investment firms. 

The ratio of Chinese women came to 59.6 percent in January and up to 63.2 percent in June, accounting for 305,886 among the 483,934 total Chinese tourists. It is approximately double the number of Japanese visitors, 173,000, in the same time period.

Chinese women were seen mainly to be attracted to the country’s shopping districts, the data showed.

Industry watchers believe the increased participation of economic activity by Chinese women has led to a rise in their buying power, and that this phenomenon would benefit the development of Korea’s Duty Free and cosmetic industry.