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| Incheon International Airport is filled with vacationers, who plans to go abroad for the summer, in this August photo. Yonhap |
By Kim Hyun-bin
The "Boycott Japan" movement, which started after Tokyo implemented strict trade restrictions on Seoul in early July, has led to a drastic reduction in the number of Koreans taking trips to the island country.
According to Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC), the number of people who went to or came from Japan through the airport was about 970,000 in August, 19.5 percent down from 1.2 million in the same month of 2018.
The figure was also a decline from 1.12 million in July this year.
Such a huge drop in the summer vacation season is very unusual, the IIAC said.
Currently, airlines connect Incheon Airport with 28 Japanese cities. Of them, 19 cities saw a drastic reduction of passengers flying from Korea in August compared to July.
The number of travelers to 10 out of the 19 cities dropped more than 20 percent, and Saga saw the steepest fall with 55.3 percent.
The declining number of passengers to and from Japan in August is in stark contrast to the 3.9 percent increase of total number of passengers using the airport in the same month.
Amid decreasing demand following trade disputes and historical issues between the two countries, local airlines have been suspending several routes to the island country and diverting flights to Southeast Asia and China instead to increase profitability.
Demand for Southeast Asia went up by 15.3 percent, and that for China 11.8 percent, Europe 10.8 percent, the Americas 3.8 percent, and Oceania 1.9 percent for August compared to the same period last year, according to the IIAC.
In particular, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand enjoyed steep rises in the number of travelers ― 30.1 percent, 15.8 percent and 15.3 percent, respectively.
"Korean travelers who were planning to visit Japan have changed their destinations to China or Southeast Asian countries due to the ongoing Boycott Japan movement," an IIAC official said.
Despite the tensions between the two neighboring countries, the airport broke a new record of daily passengers with 237,171 people using it Aug. 4.
