This summer travel season, numerous repeat visits figured prominently in Korean tourism news narrative. One Korean travel agency, Hana Tour, which in August surveyed which destinations Koreans favored for a second or third visit, found through its review of 2,000 reply posts indicated that 28 percent favored Japan, 11 percent Vietnam, 7 percent Thailand and 7 percent France. The weak Japanese yen, hovering around 800 to 950 yen to the Korean won during the summer months, made Japan an attractive destination for many young Koreans. The allure of such an affordable trip so close by increased the number of Korean travelers to Japan even in August amid reports of earthquakes and typhoons. On the popular Korean platform Naver, daily uploads by Korean travelers of shopping lists or attractions visited on their third or fourth trips engaged viewers just as if they were there.

This writer went on a repeat visit to Japan in August, after one the month before. I........

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