Policy Proposal by Jeju Elementary School Students Regarding the Disruptive Behavior of Foreign Tourists

As the number of foreign tourists visiting Jeju increases, the disorderly conduct of some tourists has become a social issue, drawing attention to the solutions proposed by elementary school students in the Jeju area.

On the 4th of this month, fourth-grade students from Pyoseon Elementary School in Jeju posted an article titled "Proposal for Solutions to the Etiquette Issues of Foreign Tourists" on the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province's official website under the 'What We Hope for Jeju Special Self-Governing Province' bulletin board.

This bulletin board serves as a space to gather opinions regarding inconveniences in daily life, illegal acts, and improvements to provincial policies, where relevant departments review and provide responses.

Through their post, the students pointed out, "Recently, the disruptive behaviors of some foreign tourists have become problematic," highlighting issues such as urinating and defecating on the streets, littering, and smoking on buses.

The students identified the difficulty of reporting foreigners and the cultural differences between countries as the root causes of these issues.

Practical Solutions Proposed by Elementary Students

To address these problems, the students proposed specific policies such as: ▶ a system that allows for immediate reporting and response ▶ distributing booklets or stickers to inform tourists about proper etiquette in Korea ▶ installing relevant signage.

The students added that through these policies, "foreign tourists will behave correctly, and Jeju's image will improve."

Recently, the disorderly conduct of foreign tourists has sparked controversy in Jeju.

Last year, a photo of a tourist, presumed to be Chinese, defecating in the streets of Yeon-dong, Jeju City, was shared, causing an uproar.

Additionally, a video surfaced showing a Chinese tourist smoking on a bus and flicking cigarette ashes out of the window.

According to statistics from the Jeju Police Agency, out of a total of 4,136 disorderly conduct cases detected in Jeju from January to May this year, 3,522 cases, or over 85%, involved foreigners. This represents an 817% increase compared to the same period last year, which recorded only 451 cases.

In particular, the number of foreigner-related enforcement cases surged approximately 23 times compared to the same period last year, which had 148 cases.

Image sources: Online community, Instagram captures, illustrative photos for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank