South Korea's Jeju Island Launches Crackdown on Tourist Misconduct

August 23, 2025 | 11:56 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jeju province in South Korea is set to crack down on tourists displaying inappropriate or disrespectful behavior during their vacation. Jeju has launched the country's first multilingual etiquette notice to promote order on the southern resort island.

The Jeju Provincial Police announced earlier this week that they have printed 8,000 notices in Korean, English, and Chinese. The notice aims to bridge the cultural gap and help foreign tourists understand local laws and customs.

The notice contains warnings to visitors about minor violations, ranging from jaywalking, littering, and smoking in restricted areas to public intoxication. Tourists are also urged to cooperate in maintaining order.

An official from the Jeju Provincial Police Authority stated that officers carry the notices during patrols and distribute them when they come across minor violations. "Serious offenses are dealt with immediately, but for minor ones we usually issue the notice instead of stricter action," the official said, as reported by Korea Times.

According to the official, for minor violations, officers only give warnings. This approach is considered to ease tension with tourists and alleviate the burden on officers compared to imposing sanctions.

Surge in Tourists in Jeju

Jeju has witnessed a surge in foreign tourists following the pandemic, due to its warm climate. The return of cruise ships and the increasing global profile of Jeju, partly driven by the spread of Korean pop culture, have contributed to bringing visitor numbers back to pre-pandemic levels. Chinese tourists constitute the largest group of international visitors to the region.

Jeju Island has been visited by over 7 million tourists this year, according to the Jeju Tourism Association. Out of this figure, around 5.86 million were domestic tourists, a 9.3 percent drop from the previous year. In contraty, foreign arrivals surge 14.2 percent to over 1.16 million, with a significant spike in July, recording over 40 percent growth from the previous year.

Tourist Misconduct

As tourism surges, concerns arose for the increasing inappropriate behavior of tourists and public disorder. Between March and June, the Jeju Provincial Police conducted a special campaign targeting violations committed by foreign tourists. During this period, officers recorded over 4,800 cases of disorderly conduct, including jaywalking, littering, and public urination.

Viral cases have bolstered complaints about tourist behavior in Jeju. In April, a woman was caught smoking inside a bus and threw her cigarette butt onto the street, prompting other passengers to protest. Last month, South Korean media reported that a young boy urinated near a bus stop at Hamdeok Beach in Jeju City, while the accompanying adults looked on.

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