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According to Yonhap News Agency on November 5th, the actions of a Vietnamese female tourist in Seoul have sparked mixed reactions online. The article quickly gained attention from the South Korean online community and topped the list of most-read content that day.
Photos of a Vietnamese female tourist posing in yoga at the famous Gyeongbokgung Palace in South Korea, also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace, have gone viral on social media platforms. This palace dates back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and is the largest of the five great palaces still standing in South Korea.
The images posted on social media are considered inappropriate poses in public places.
Immediately after the photos and videos went viral on social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook, the woman received a barrage of harsh comments, with many social media users describing her behavior as "disturbing" and "inappropriate."
The post on the fan page, which has over 2.2 million followers, received thousands of critical comments. One account commented: "The palace is a sacred place of their country, just like the Imperial Citadel of Hue in Vietnam. How could they behave like that? It's so embarrassing." Alongside the negative comments, supporters argued that the female tourist's pose inspired yoga practice and allowed her to "confidently show off her personality" even while abroad.
The image made many people feel embarrassed.
The Vietnamese female tourist, the owner of the photos that went viral, said that she had a schedule to visit several tourist spots in Seoul that day. Seeing the beautiful wall, she stopped to take a few photos but did not go inside. "This was the residence of the King and his concubines in the past, not a place of worship. I also made sure not to go inside, only practicing outside, I didn't even reach the gate," she said.
People passing by applauded and asked to take photos with the Vietnamese female tourist. Security guards in the area saw this but did not reprimand her. "However, I will learn from this experience and not practice yoga at tourist locations like that again," she said. Following the incident, photos of the female tourist checking in with yoga poses at several tourist destinations such as Bali, Maldives, and Singapore were also "resurfaced" and received many critical comments.
Gyeongbokgung, or Gyeongbokgung Palace, is the largest and most famous of the "Five Great Palaces" of the Joseon Dynasty. Built in 1395, it served as the center of political and cultural power for the dynasty. It is also one of the most popular photo spots in Seoul.
Gyeongbokgung Palace, the pride of South Korea.
Gyeongbokgung Palace doesn't have an official dress code for visitors, but most tourists dress modestly, avoiding flip-flops, shorts, and short skirts as these are not considered appropriate attire in Korea. Many people even rent hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) to enter the palace. Visitors wearing traditional attire are exempt from admission fees. This rule aims to preserve and promote Korean culture.
This isn't the first time yoga practitioners have caused controversy in the community. In late October, a group of tourists performed yoga on the summit of Fansipan with suggestive poses, which were recorded by a foreign tourist and posted on social media, drawing widespread criticism. Prior to that, some yoga practitioners at cloud-watching spots in Da Lat and along roads in Thai Binh also received similar backlash.
