The number of Japanese tourists to South Korea last month rose for the first time in three and a half years.
 
The Korea Tourism Organization(KTO) said Friday that 144-thousand-493 Japanese tourists visited South Korea in February. It represents an increase of one-point-three percent from the same month last year to mark the first on-year increase since August 2012.
 
The total number of foreign visitors to South Korea last month tallied one-point-12 million, up seven-point-two percent year-on-year.
 
In particular, Chinese tourists grew five-point-seven percent from February last year to over 546-thousand last month.
 
The Tourism Organization attributes the rise to the Lunar New Year holiday and more Chinese cruise tours. 
 
Meanwhile, the number of South Koreans who traveled overseas last month soared nearly 30 percent from February last year to over one-point-87 million.
 
The KTO said that many Koreans went abroad during the Lunar New Year's and winter vacation.