Jeju students call for action as some tourists flout public decency

People visit Ihoteu Beach on Jeju Island, June 21. Yonhap

Lee Hyun, an 11-year-old at Pyoseon Elementary School, believes that good manners define a person. Lately, she’s been observing that many tourists on Jeju Island disregard even the most basic etiquette.

“I once saw tourists talking loudly and playing music on a village bus in Jeju,” Lee told The Korea Times. “Some people were trying to sleep, and others were taking online classes with earphones in. That kind of behavior can be really disruptive to other passengers.”

To help address the issue, Lee and five of her friends submitted a proposal Friday through the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province’s website, suggesting ways to improve etiquette among tourists.

On Jeju Island, a popular Korean destination for domestic and international tourists, growing concerns about public order have emerged as local frustrations rise over disruptive behavior attributed to some visitors.

On Thursday, the Korean Broadcasting System reported that a young boy was seen urinating near a bus stop by Hamdeok Beach in Jeju City. A witness said that nearby adults, who were part of the same group, did not intervene.

In another incident in April, a woman was caught smoking on a bus. When passengers protested, she threw her cigarette butt onto the road. The driver stopped the bus and issued a warning — a story that quickly spread online.

A woman smokes on a village bus on Jeju Island in April. Captured from Instagram

According to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, 4,806 violations of basic public order, such as jaywalking, littering and public urination, were recorded involving foreigners over a 100-day period starting in late March

In the proposal, Lee and her friends pointed out that there is no clear channel for reporting inappropriate behavior by tourists.

“If it’s a Korean tourist, you can report them to the police, but with tourists who are just passing by Korea, it’s much harder to report anything,” the post read. “And since it's difficult to enforce penalties, people often don’t even bother reporting them.”

The students stressed the need for an agency that can respond immediately to reports of disruptive behavior by tourists from abroad. While Jeju does operate a tourism complaint center, they noted that the process is too slow for real-time intervention.

They also suggested handing out stickers or pamphlets with key etiquette rules to tourists upon arrival at the airport. “If the stickers use simple, intuitive messages in multiple languages, people can put them on their bags and be reminded of them throughout their trip,” the students wrote.

While working on the issue and writing proposals for a school assignment, Lee said she came to realize the problem was more serious than she initially thought.

“I didn’t think tourists causing disturbances was that big of a deal,” she said. “But as I kept researching and learned how many people are affected, it started to feel much more serious.”

Beachgoers swim at Hamdeok Beach on Jeju Island, June 29. Yonhap

Park Kyoung-bum, 35, the homeroom teacher for the class, told The Korea Times he was initially concerned the topic might be too complex for a student project focused on local issues.

“This has been a long-standing issue in Jeju, so I wasn’t sure if a student project could really make an impact,” Park said. “But the kids were eager — they told me they wanted to take it on because they believed it was a serious problem. So I told them to go for it.”

Now, Park and his students are waiting for a response from the provincial government. In the meantime, the students designed sample etiquette stickers and contacted the Jeju Provincial Council to ask if officials would be willing to hear their ideas.

Lee expressed hopes that their efforts could help not only Jeju, but also Seoul and other tourist destinations across Korea become more respectful spaces.

“I think it would help if foreign visitors learned more about Korea’s etiquette (so that everyone can enjoy tourist sites more comfortably),” Lee said.