Korea's tourism balance has remained in deficit for three consecutive months, even as the country prepares to welcome a record number of foreign visitors this year, with arrivals expected to surpass 20 million for the first time, government data showed Monday. Experts say Korea needs to move beyond one-off tourism packages centered on K-pop content and develop a wider range of attractions that encourage visitors to spend more. According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the country's tourism deficit — the gap between spending by foreign visitors in Korea and spending by Koreans abroad — widened to $498 million in September, from $399.4 million a month earlier. The country slipped back into deficit in July, ending a four-month run of surpluses. Korea had run a tourism deficit for 72 consecutive months, from March 2020 through February this year, before returning to surplus in March. The surplus continued through June, peaking at $596.6 million that month, marking the largest figure since October 2008. The four-month surplus coincided with a series of BTS concerts in Se