Public outcry grows as tourists violate cleanliness norms in Korea. (Image from the Online community)
JEJU, July 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Amid growing frustration over unruly behavior by some foreign tourists in Jeju, a group of elementary school students has stepped forward with a policy proposal aimed at restoring public order and protecting the island’s reputation.
The students, all fourth graders at Pyoseon Elementary School, an International Baccalaureate (IB) program, submitted a detailed proposal titled “Solutions to the Etiquette Problems of Foreign Tourists” to the Jeju provincial government on July 4 via the official website’s public suggestion platform.
The proposal follows a series of high-profile incidents involving foreign visitors, including public urination, smoking on public transport, and jaywalking, many of which have gone viral on Korean social media. Most of the offenders are reportedly Chinese tourists, drawing criticism from residents and online communities.
One particularly controversial case occurred just days earlier, when a child was seen urinating near a beach bus stop in Hamdeok while nearby adults, reportedly speaking Chinese, did nothing to intervene. Similar episodes have occurred over the past year in Seogwipo and Jeju City, along with reports of smoking on buses and littering.
Jeju jaywalking prohibition banner. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Concerned that such behaviors are tarnishing Jeju’s image and deterring other visitors, the students — operating as the M.T.E. team, short for “Matter of Tourist Etiquette” — offered three key policy suggestions:
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Rapid-response team: Establish an agency that can promptly respond to reports of tourist misconduct, improving upon the current Jeju Tourism Complaint Center, which the students say is too slow to act.
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Etiquette stickers and brochures: Distribute multilingual visual guides to tourists at Jeju International Airport to communicate basic social norms in a clear and accessible manner.
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Signage at key sites: Install etiquette signage at major tourist destinations to prevent unintentional cultural offenses by visitors unfamiliar with Korean norms.
The initiative is part of the IB curriculum’s unit on civic responsibility and local problem-solving, under the theme “How We Organize Ourselves.”
Though the Jeju provincial government has yet to respond, the students’ proposal reflects growing public demand for more proactive measures to address tourist misconduct.
According to Jeju Provincial Police, a special enforcement campaign between March and June resulted in 4,806 citations for public disorder violations by foreign nationals, including littering, jaywalking, and urinating in public.
As Jeju continues to attract international visitors, calls for balancing tourism growth with local standards of civility are gaining urgency — and even the island’s youngest residents are now weighing in.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
