The new measures will limit tourist access to Bukchon Hanok Village and impose fines for violations. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jul. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – In a groundbreaking move, Seoul’s Jongno district has designated the iconic Bukchon Hanok Village as South Korea’s first “Special Management Area,” introducing strict regulations to balance tourism with residents’ quality of life. The new measures, set to take effect as early as March next year, will limit tourist access and impose fines for violations.
Under the new regulations, visitors to Bukchon Hanok Village will be required to leave the area after 5 p.m. The district office has divided the 1,128,372.7 square meter area, which includes parts of Samcheong-dong and Gahoe-dong, into different zones based on the level of resident inconvenience: Red Zone, Orange Zone, Yellow Zone, and a Charter Bus Restricted Area.
The Red Zone, covering Bukchon-ro 11-gil (34,000 square meters), will have the strictest regulations. Tourists will only be allowed to visit between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., protecting residents’ evening and early morning peace. After a grace period starting in October this year, full enforcement is scheduled to begin in March 2025.
The Orange Zone, which includes Bukchon-ro 5ga-gil (26,400 square meters) and Gyedong-gil area (34,000 square meters), will not have time restrictions but will be subject to increased guidance activities for tourists.
Bukchon-ro 12-gil (11,700 square meters) is designated as the Yellow Zone, a monitoring area where officials will assess visitor behavior and potentially increase patrols and signage to encourage adherence to local rules.
A 1.5 km stretch of Bukchon-ro from the Anguk Station intersection to the Samcheong Park entrance (27,500 square meters) will become a restricted area for charter buses. Following necessary preparations, charter bus restrictions will be implemented from July 2025, with full enforcement beginning in January 2026 after a six-month grace period.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
