Jeju tourism hit by safety concerns after mishandled missing person cases

Jeju's reputation as a safe travel destination is coming under strain after police prematurely closed a missing person case and several missing people were later found dead.

With domestic visitor numbers falling, concerns are growing over safety on the island.

According to the Jeju Tourism Association on Sunday, domestic visitor numbers fell year-on-year on all but one day between Aug. 19 and Aug. 29.

Aug. 19 was also when the police’s premature closure of the missing person case began drawing widespread public attention.

"I was planning to travel to Jeju with my family in early September, but we changed our destination to Gangwon Province because of the recent incidents," said Seo Ye-bin, a 26-year-old graduate student. "People are even sharing maps showing where missing-person cases have occurred. It just feels unsettling to visit Jeju right now."

A guesthouse operator surnamed Park in Jeju City said the fallout appears to be concentrated among Korean travelers rather than foreign visitors.

“We’ve had some cancellations, and almost all of them were from Korean guests, so I think the news is having an impact,” Park said. “Foreign travelers don’t seem to be particularly affected.”

The decline was particularly sharp on Aug. 22 and 25, when domestic visitor numbers fell 11.8 percent and 13 percent, respectively, from the same days a year earlier.

Overall tourist arrivals reached 1.27 million through Saturday, up 1.1 percent from the same period last year, driven by an increase in foreign visitors. Domestic arrivals, however, fell 1.9 percent to 1.01 million.

The Jeju provincial government and local tourism industry, however, cautioned against attributing the decline directly to the recent missing person cases.

They noted that year-on-year comparisons are complicated by differences in the days of the week, as visitor numbers fluctuate significantly between weekdays and weekends. The number of available seats on domestic flights to Jeju has also declined recently, limiting how many domestic travelers can visit the island.

They explained that these factors make it difficult to conclude that the recent drop in domestic visitors was caused by the controversy.

Still, the local tourism association expressed concern that the situation could hurt the island's tourism industry if it persists.

In response to growing safety concerns, the Jeju provincial government convened a meeting Thursday to discuss measures to strengthen the island's safety network for residents and tourists. Chaired by Gov. Wi Seong-gon, the meeting brought together police, Coast Guard and fire officials, local governments and private safety organizations.

The province plans to work with hotels, other accommodation providers and rental car companies to ensure faster reporting and response when solo travelers go missing or lose contact. It will also expand emergency reporting and location information at major tourist sites.