Tourist complaints in S. Korea hit record high in just 7 months
South Korea has received a record number of complaints from tourists this year. From January to July, 1,753 tourism complaints were reported, already higher than the 1,744 complaints recorded during all of 2025. The most common problems include bad taxi driving, poor accommodation, rude service, and tourists being charged too much.
The complaints are collected through the Tourist Complaint Center and the Korea Travel Hotline, 1330. The hotline is especially useful for foreign tourists who may have difficulty communicating in Korean. Complaints have increased quickly since the COVID-19 pandemic, rising from 288 in 2022 to 902 in 2023, 1,543 in 2024, and 1,744 in 2025.
Seoul had the highest number of complaints this year, with 665, followed by Busan with 594. Busan's complaints increased greatly, partly because of a BTS concert in June that brought around 110,000 visitors to the city. This shows how major events can increase tourism but can also create more problems for visitors.
Accommodation complaints were the most common, with 500 cases involving issues such as canceled bookings and high cancellation fees. Shopping complaints came next, including rude service and disagreements about prices. There were also many complaints about airport and airline services, taxis, and hotels, particularly regarding poor service and cleanliness.
Despite the increase in complaints, South Korea's tourism industry is doing very well. More than 10 million foreign visitors came to the country during the first half of the year. However, tourism experts say that improving services is important if South Korea wants to maintain its tourism growth and give visitors a better experience.
Edited using generative AI tools.
Source: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10863875
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