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…
Jeju's reputation as a safe travel destination is being called into question following police mishandling of a missing person case and subsequent deaths of missing individuals. Domestic visitor numbers to the island have dropped year-on-year, with only one day between August 19 and August 29 maintaining steady numbers. The police's premature closure of the missing person case on August 19 sparked public outrage.
A 26-year-old graduate student, Seo Ye-bin, had intended to travel to Jeju with her family in early September but has since changed her plans to visit Gangwon Province instead. The unsettling incidents have led people to share maps outlining the locations of missing-person cases, with some even expressing the unsettling feeling of visiting Jeju currently.
A guesthouse operator in Jeju City reported that the negative impact is concentrated among Korean travelers, with many cancellations originating from domestic guests.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
