SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) -Tourism complaints in South Korea have surged alongside record foreign arrivals, with persistent overcharging adding to concerns about the country’s welcome for overseas visitors.
The Korea Tourism Organization received 1,753 tourism complaints from January through July, already surpassing the 1,744 filed during all of last year. Foreign nationals submitted 84.3 percent of the total.
South Korea welcomed 15.05 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of this year, up 21.6 percent from 12.38 million a year earlier. August alone brought 2.25 million visitors, an increase of 23.3 percent. Both the monthly and cumulative figures were the highest on record.
Accommodation drew the most complaints at 500, followed by shopping at 376. Airport and airline services accounted for 186 complaints, taxis for 182 and hotels for 146.
The increase comes as Seoul struggles to curb taxi overcharging involving foreign passengers, with few reports leading to penalties.
Data obtained by Rep. Mo Kyung-jong from the Seoul Metropolitan Government showed 6,481 reports of excessive taxi fares involving foreign tourists from 2021 through August this year.
Only 204 cases, or 3.1 percent, resulted in administrative sanctions. Most were closed without further action or ended with warnings and guidance.
Seoul also offers a reward of 500,000 won for reports of taxi overcharging against foreign visitors that lead to administrative action. Yet no reward applications or payments were recorded during the period.
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