Overtourism In South Korea: How Bukchon Hanok Village And Jeju Island Are Coping With Visitor Overload

Published on September 6, 2025

In caller years, overtourism has go an progressively pressing rumor successful galore parts of nan world, pinch South Korea being nary exception. While tourism has agelong been a captious assemblage for South Korea’s economy, definite iconic taste and earthy sites successful nan state are now experiencing nan detrimental effects of an overwhelming influx of visitors. Bukchon Hanok Village successful Seoul and Jeju Island, some of which are famed for their unsocial taste value and scenic beauty, person go focal points for these challenges. As a result, nan residents of these areas person expressed mounting vexation owed to respective issues caused by nan surge successful tourism. These issues scope from excessive noise and littering to much terrible intrusions connected individual privacy, which person led to increasing tensions betwixt locals and tourists.

Overtourism successful South Korea: A Growing Concern

South Korea has agelong been a celebrated tourer destination, attracting millions of visitors annually. Known for its rich | taste heritage, modern architecture, and earthy landscapes, nan state offers a blend of experiences that entreaty to travelers from each complete nan globe. However, since nan pandemic, tourism numbers person seen a important resurgence. While this is undoubtedly a affirmative improvement for nan economy, it has besides led to an alarming emergence successful overtourism, particularly successful definite hotspots.

Bukchon Hanok Village, a accepted Korean colony located successful nan bosom of Seoul, has seen nan brunt of this emergence successful tourism. The village, which is location to hundreds of hanok (traditional Korean houses), offers visitors a glimpse into nan past, pinch its constrictive alleys and quaint architecture providing a picturesque backdrop. However, this aforesaid charm has besides made nan colony a target for visitors looking to acquisition nan accepted broadside of Seoul. As a result, nan area is often overcrowded, pinch visitors regularly crowding nan streets, taking photographs, and engaging successful large conversations, overmuch to nan discomfort of nan residents.

Similarly, Jeju Island, South Korea’s premier land destination, has go different unfortunate of overtourism. Known for its stunning earthy beauty, including waterfalls, volcanic craters, and beaches, Jeju has agelong been a celebrated picnic spot for some home and world tourists. However, arsenic nan island’s fame has soared, truthful person nan problems associated pinch excessive tourism. The island’s infrastructure, which was erstwhile tin of accommodating a manageable number of visitors, has struggled to support up pinch nan demands of an ever-growing influx of travelers.

The Challenges of Overtourism: Impact connected Local Communities

The accelerated maturation of tourism has inevitably impacted nan value of life for section residents, peculiarly those surviving adjacent tourist-heavy areas. In some Bukchon Hanok Village and Jeju Island, locals person reported that nan beingness of ample numbers of visitors has created a big of issues. One of nan astir salient concerns is noise pollution. Tourists often rotation nan streets of Bukchon Hanok Village, taking photos and chatting loudly, disturbing nan serene situation that residents person grown accustomed to. The changeless hum of conversation, mixed pinch nan sounds of camera shutters and bustling crowds, has made it progressively difficult for locals to bask their regular routines successful tranquility.

In Jeju, nan business is nary different. The island’s serene and serene landscapes person been overshadowed by nan changeless travel of tourists, galore of whom prosecute successful behaviors that disrupt nan earthy environment. From large motorbikes and buses to nan chatter of groups visiting scenic spots, nan noise has go a important rumor for those who unrecorded connected nan land year-round. The once-calm ambiance that Jeju is known for has been marred by nan din of changeless quality activity.

Another awesome rumor arising from overtourism is nan problem of littering. With millions of visitors flocking to South Korea’s apical tourer destinations, nan sheer measurement of discarded generated has go a superior concern. In Bukchon Hanok Village, contempt nan efforts of section authorities and residents to support nan area’s cleanliness, visitors often time off down trash, specified arsenic integrative bottles, nutrient wrappers, and different discarded items. The business is likewise dire successful Jeju, wherever celebrated tourer spots person been plagued by litter, peculiarly during highest recreation seasons. The load of cleaning up aft visitors falls chiefly connected section communities, galore of whom are disappointment by nan deficiency of work taken by visitors.

Privacy Intrusions: A Growing Concern for Locals

In summation to nan biology and noise-related problems caused by overtourism, nan rumor of privacy has besides go a awesome constituent of contention for residents of some Bukchon Hanok Village and Jeju Island. In Bukchon, nan village’s constrictive streets and accepted homes are not designed to accommodate ample groups of tourists. Yet, pinch nan area’s increasing popularity, visitors often rotation into backstage residences aliases return photographs of group successful their homes, intruding connected their individual space. This not only makes nan residents consciousness uncomfortable but besides raises concerns astir nan morals of specified behavior.

Similarly, connected Jeju Island, nan privateness of locals has been compromised arsenic visitors often task into backstage spot aliases nationalist spaces to threat pictures. While immoderate of nan visitors whitethorn not person malicious intent, their actions tin inadvertently invade nan individual lives of nan residents. The increasing number of visitors who disregard privateness boundaries has created an ambiance of unease for galore who unrecorded successful these celebrated areas.

The Path Forward: Solutions to Address Overtourism successful South Korea

While overtourism poses a superior challenge, location are steps that tin beryllium taken to mitigate its effects and onslaught a equilibrium betwixt preserving section life and accommodating tourists. One imaginable solution is nan implementation of stricter regulations connected tourism successful high-risk areas. For example, successful Bukchon Hanok Village, limiting nan number of visitors allowed into definite sections of nan colony astatine immoderate fixed clip could thief alleviate overcrowding and trim sound levels. Additionally, expanding consciousness among visitors astir nan value of respecting section customs and being mindful of their effect connected nan situation could foster a much sustainable attack to tourism.

In Jeju, expanding infrastructure and promoting sustainable tourism practices could thief administer visitors much evenly crossed nan island. This could see creating caller tourer attractions successful less-visited areas, arsenic good arsenic encouraging visitors to sojourn during off-peak seasons to debar overwhelming nan island’s resources. Additionally, section authorities could activity pinch circuit operators to amended visitors astir nan value of maintaining cleanliness and respecting section customs.

Finding a Balance: Managing Overtourism successful South Korea

Overtourism successful South Korea has undoubtedly led to important challenges, peculiarly successful areas for illustration Bukchon Hanok Village and Jeju Island, wherever nan pressures of excessive visitors person disrupted regular life for locals. The issues of noise, littering, and privateness concerns are tangible consequences of an overwhelming influx of tourists, which has only been exacerbated by nan pandemic’s aftermath. As South Korea continues to retrieve and pull visitors from astir nan world, it will beryllium basal to find ways to negociate tourism sustainably, ensuring that some nan section communities and nan visitors who sojourn these beautiful sites tin coexist peacefully and respectfully.