Famous for its traditional houses with typical Korean architecture, Bukchon Hanok Village is one of Seoul's most popular tourist destinations - attracting thousands of visitors every day. Located in the Jongno district in downtown Seoul, Bukchon Hanok Village is close to other cultural landmarks such as the Jongmyo Royal Ancestral Shrine and the grand palaces: Kyungbokgung and Changdeokgung.
Bukchon Hanok Village is famous for its houses with traditional Korean architecture.
However, the number of tourists here is always too much, leading to problems of noise, urban pollution and the privacy of the people in this area is affected. In an effort to reduce stress and control the crowds, Jongno district officials said they will start restricting tourists to this famous village from the beginning of October this year.
It will be designated as the country’s first “special management zone” under the Korean Tourism Promotion Act. A strict curfew for non-residents will be enforced daily from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. Chartered tourist buses will be restricted to some locations. Officials say the aim is to reduce traffic and crowds in Bukchon.
The area has also been divided into three zones coded red, orange and yellow to allow local authorities to control and monitor crowds in the most densely populated areas. Officials said fines will be imposed on violators.
This village is always overloaded with tourists.
Some people who live and work in the area have dismissed the new measures, saying they will not be effective. Cafe owner Lee Youn-Hee said visitors usually leave after sunset because they mainly come there to take photos. “In winter, visitors leave before 5pm and in summer maybe before 6pm,” Lee said, adding that this would not make much of a difference.
In the coming time, the Seoul government is making a thorough effort to manage tourists in order to improve the quality of life of the people in this area. At the same time, improve the quality of tourism services to bring tourists wonderful feelings when coming to Korea.
