What do an alien love story and the card game baccarat have in common? They’re helping to attract record numbers of Chinese tourists to South Korea -- a boon for the $1.3 trillion economy and a stock market enjoying its third year of gains. Visitors from China rose 54 percent to 2.7 million in the first half, enticed by Korea’s hit television series “My Love from the Star,” K-Pop singers and an expanding casino industry. The influx of Chinese shoppers is helping shield Korea’s economy from a stronger won and boosting President Park Geun Hye’s efforts to leverage pop-culture success into thriving fashion, cosmetics ... (full story)