Tourist complaints in Korea hit record high amid travel boom
Tourist complaints in Korea have hit a record high this year, data showed Sunday, with problems ranging from reckless taxi driving to overcharging at shopping malls. A total of 1,753 complaints were filed nationwide between January and July this year, already surpassing the 1,744 cases reported last year, according to the data compiled by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). The growing number…
Tourist grievances in South Korea have soared to a record high this year, according to figures released on Sunday by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). The issues range from reckless taxi driving to overcharging at shopping centers. Between January and July this year, a total of 1,753 complaints were lodged nationwide, already exceeding the 1,744 complaints reported in the same period last year.
The surge in complaints has prompted calls for Korea to implement measures to enhance tourism services, especially as overseas visitors have expressed dissatisfaction with exorbitant accommodation cancellation fees and other problems during major events like K-pop sensation BTS concerts.
The data indicates that the total number of complaints from foreign visitors declined during the COVID-19 pandemic but has been on the rise since 2023, reaching 1,744 last year. Impressively, this year's figure has already surpassed the entire 2025 annual total within just seven months. When broken down by region, Seoul reported the highest number of complaints at 665, followed by Busan in the southeast with 594, Incheon with 176, and the southern resort island of Jeju with 15.
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- Tourist complaints in S. Korea hit record high amid travel boom en.yna.co.kr
- Tourist complaints in Korea hit record high amid travel boom koreatimes.co.kr
