Category: Seoul

The DPK is claiming that residents in Seoul are not seeing the benefits of the tourism boom and thus why a tax on foreign tourists is needed. This is a fabrication because all those tourists are staying in Seoul hotels, restaurants, and shopping at the stores there. This is all economic activity that is being taxed that benefits the residence of Seoul already:

The increasing number of international tourists visiting Korea has prompted calls to review the introduction of a tourist tax to cover local government expenses to address problems resulting from overtourism.

The idea was floated recently by Lee Dong-hyun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), a candidate for head of Jung District in central Seoul, with party leaders also supporting the suggestion.

Lee has made an international tourist tax a centerpiece of his campaign pledges, promising to turn the tourism boom into benefits for residents.

“Jung District is the most visited district in Korea among foreigners, yet the burden of waste and noise falls entirely on residents,” Lee said during a Sunday campaign rally. “But not a single benefit from that prosperity flows back to our residents. I will absolutely open the floodgates of our district’s development through the introduction of a foreign tourist tax.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but this is typical politics to where you propose a tax against people that have no say in it to appear to benefit the people that are voting for you. Over time the politicians continue to increase the tourism tax for more easy money. However, the benefit over time will collapse when international tourists don’t want to visit Seoul any more because it becomes too expensive.

My big question is who is considered a tourist? Is it only foreigners or does it include someone from Busan taking the train to spend a weekend in Seoul?:

For Chong Won-o, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Seoul mayoral candidate, the city’s tourism boom is testing its ability to manage its own popularity, with complaints of tourist overcharging beginning to undercut its global appeal.

Seoul has rapidly emerged as a new hotspot for international tourists in recent years, drawing visitors with its blend of cultural richness and hypermodern energy, as reflected in Netflix hits such as “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Made in Korea.”

But that rise has come with a hidden cost: A mismatch between surging demand and limited local capacity has created room for some vendors to charge arbitrary or inflated prices for goods and services.

Chong, who is campaigning ahead of the June 3 local elections, said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Friday that managing the imbalance through a new pricing strategy could be key to the long-term sustainability of tourism in South Korea’s capital.

“It is just a raw concept for now, but we may introduce peak season rates for tourists, aligning with the global trend in major tourist destinations,” Chong said at his election campaign office in Jung-gu, Seoul. “Otherwise, Seoul could face severe criticism for overcharging tourists.”

Rather than cracking down on vendors here or overlooking their transgressions, Chong said a two-tier pricing system for tourists during high season in sectors beyond accommodation could alleviate concerns about overtourism in the city.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

As the war drags on expect more measures like this to be implemented:

Suwon Urban Development Corporation employees stage a publicity campaign at Jangan-dong Public Parking Lot in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. (Yonhap)

Starting Wednesday, Seoul will roll out a “1-in-5” parking system in more than half of its public parking lots, meaning drivers can only park on certain days depending on their license plate numbers, city officials said Tuesday.

The move comes after the government raised the national oil resource security alert to “warning” and introduced emergency measures nationwide.

Under the system, vehicles with plate numbers ending in 1 or 6 will be barred on Mondays, 2 or 7 on Tuesdays, 3 or 8 on Wednesdays, 4 or 9 on Thursdays, and 5 or 0 on Fridays. The measure will not apply on weekends or public holidays.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Jongno-gu in central Seoul is blanketed in fine and ultrafine dust on Thursday. (Yonhap)

Having ran in many races I have seen the growing rise in these races which is largely due to the fact they have become easy money makers for the organizations that put them on:

As running becomes one of South Korea’s fastest-growing pastimes, Seoul is facing a new challenge: a marathon calendar packed so tightly that major roads are blocked almost every weekend, prompting widespread complaints that the city’s fitness fever is pushing everyday life off course.

Streets in central districts, from Gwanghwamun and Jongno to the Han River bridges, have been repeatedly shut down for early-morning events that funnel tens of thousands of runners through the city’s most heavily trafficked corridors.

On Sunday, another large-scale race, hosted by a local media group, drew an estimated 30,000 participants. The course required step-by-step traffic control, diverting buses and vehicles throughout the morning.

For many residents and workers, however, it was a growing strain.

“It’s good to run for health, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of ordinary citizens,” said Kim Keon-ho, 72, who found himself rerouted Sunday morning. “The roads are all closed, but there’s little guidance on where to go. Elderly people struggle with the subway stairs, and yet that’s the only option they are told to use. It’s frustrating.” (………..)

Data shows a steep rise in both events and complaints.

National data submitted to Rep. Park Jeong-ha showed that the number of marathons held in Korea surged from 19 events in 2020 and 49 in 2021 to 254 in 2024, with more than 1 million participants, an increase of more than thirteenfold in four years.

With the trend, the frustration grew. According to Seoul city figures, public complaints tied to marathon traffic disruptions grew from 15 in 2021 to 69 in 2022, 498 in 2023 and 461 in 2024. Through September this year, 350 complaints had already been filed.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

It is a bit surprising how many issues this ferry boat keeps having:

Seoul’s Hangang Bus service came to an abrupt halt again when one of its vessels ran aground 118 meters from Jamsil dock on Saturday evening. The incident took place less than two weeks after resuming operations following a monthlong service suspension due to repeated breakdowns.

The hybrid-powered ferry, carrying 82 passengers, stopped after striking the riverbed at 8:15 p.m. All aboard were safely evacuated within an hour by fire and police rescue teams. No injuries were reported.

City officials, led by Park Jin-young, head of Future Han River Headquarters, explained that the ferry’s propeller and protective skeg likely scraped the bottom of the riverbed, transferring a shock to the hull.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

This is an interesting way to discourage foreigners from being a drain on public services:

A bill recently submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Council to apply “reciprocity” to welfare and support programs for foreign residents has sparked controversy over potential discrimination.

Thirty-three council members from the conservative People Power Party submitted the proposal on Oct. 20, calling on the city government to “review reciprocity when implementing financial, education, housing and transportation support policies for foreigners.”

If passed, the ordinance would only allow foreign residents to receive city-funded benefits if their home countries offer comparable support to Koreans living there.

The draft further stipulates that foreign residents could be excluded from support programs if Korean nationals face discriminatory treatment or receive unequal benefits in the resident’s home country.

The proposal includes exceptions. Refugees requiring humanitarian protection, foreign nationals covered under bilateral or international agreements, as well as business owners and “skilled workers” would remain eligible for support regardless of reciprocity. The proposal did not say how skilled workers would be defined.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

It did not take long for these new water buses to break:

Seoul city will suspend passenger services on its new waterborne public transportation system from Monday, just 10 days after its official launch, following a series of technical malfunctions.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Sunday that the Hangang Bus will switch to trial runs from Monday until at least the end of October, aiming to enhance stability and safety for its passengers. Throughout the trial period, buses will run according to their timetables, but without passengers on board.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.