The number of tourists traveling to South Korea from abroad last year is likely to post less than one million due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to the Korea Tourism Organization on Tuesday, 877-thousand visitors traveled to South Korea from January to November last year, plunging 64-point-three percent from a year earlier. 

Given that the number for November last year came to just 94-thousand, it is certain the figure for the entire 2021 will not reach one million. It will be the first time since 1984 when the nation started compiling related data.

The drop is attributed to continued border closures in many countries due to the pandemic.