Bukchon Hanok Village in South Korea's capital Seoul is is feeling the effects of what some residents say is overtourism, especially after being featured on a TV show a decade ago. Now the local government is starting a trial curfew in November to restrict tourist access to certain areas of Bukchon, with violators facing fines. - REUTERS
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00:00It's a top destination for visitors to South Korea, luring travellers with its traditional
00:08houses.
00:09But some in Seoul's Bukchon Hanok Village say they are victims of over-tourism and now
00:14officials are taking action.
00:17In November, the area will start a trial curfew to limit the impact of visitors.
00:22The village was popularized by a TV show a decade ago and is now facing issues like noise,
00:29littering and invasions of privacy.
00:31Last year alone, the village attracted around 6 million visitors while its resident population
00:37is only about 6,000.
00:40Starting in November, tourists will have restricted access to certain areas from 5pm to 10am with
00:46violators facing fines of up to 100,000 Korean won or about 72 dollars.
00:53The curfew will then officially launch in March 2025.
00:57Chung Moon-hun is the mayor of Jongno district where the village is located.
01:02He says the local government will work with residents ahead of the official launch.
01:08We're trying to make tourists come in a balanced way and not cause major inconvenience to the
01:14residents.
01:15This is the first time we're implementing such a policy in South Korea, so we'll work
01:19closely with residents to make adjustments if necessary.
01:23While the local government hopes to protect residents' rights and daily lives, not all
01:28residents are convinced it's the right idea.
01:31One resident of the capital city says the whole idea is un-Korean.
01:37South Korea is a country with freedom of movement, so controlling that with fines is an excessive
01:42measure.
01:43It would be better to refine the tourist culture through guidance.
01:48Tourists meanwhile are divided over the curfew, with some resenting the idea of being fined
01:53for walking down a public street, while others acknowledge the importance of residents' quality
01:59of life.
02:00Yeah, I totally agree with that.
02:04If the tourists are being rude and disrespectful to the residents living here, that shouldn't
02:09be allowed and there should be protections in place so their peace and sanity is preserved.
02:16There are also concerns about enforcement, including how to distinguish tourists from
02:21residents, how to ensure foreigners pay fines, and how to address the language barrier.