Now,... despite the diplomatic tension between the two countries,... Japanese travelers to South Korea last year jumped by the biggest margin in almost a decade.
According to Statistics Korea, the number of inbound Japanese tourists stood at 2-point-9 million in 2018,... a 29 percent hike compared to the year before,... the biggest percentage increase since 2009.
Despite the numerous historical disputes which led to frostier ties between Seoul and Tokyo last year,... experts say they no longer seem to have a significant bearing on tourism.
The number of South Koreans traveling to Japan last year was tallied at 7-point-5 million.
Although the rate of increase had slowed from a year earlier,... it was still the most since record-keeping began in 2003.