Tag: 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.

Cherry blossom trees are in full bloom with N Seoul Tower in the background at Namsan Park in central Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

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.