Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo said South Korea’s short-lived martial law is not expected to dampen the appetite of its citizens to visit the Philippines in the months ahead.
“We look forward to a very large number of South Korean tourists arriving in the Philippines in 2025,” said Rillo, vice chairperson of the House committee on tourism.
“In fact, it is highly likely that in 2025, the number of South Korean visitors to the Philippines will surpass the pre-pandemic level of almost two million,” Rillo said in a statement.
Rillo said he is counting on the robust recovery of the Philippine tourism sector in 2025 to drive the creation of new employment opportunities for Filipinos in accommodation, transport, food and beverage services, entertainment, and other economic activities.
“Our sense is that South Koreans will continue to visit the Philippines in droves as long as they find it economically attractive to spend their holidays here,” Rillo said.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3, but the replacement of the civilian government by military rule was lifted six hours later. South Korea has been the Philippines’ biggest source of foreign visitors for years.
Some 1,435,571 South Koreans visited the Philippines from January to November 2024, up 10.45 percent from 1,299,697 in the same 11-month period in 2023, according to Department of Tourism (DOT) figures.
