South Korean police tell tourists in the Jeju of the Christmas Island to behave

Police in Jeju have published guidelines for the first time reminiscent of foreign visitors who behave or face fines, since South Korea’s Christmas island sees a growing number of tourists.

The Jeju Police issued the guide after complaints from the locals for the bad behavior of foreigners, including enough garbage and let the children defecate in the street.

The guide, printed in Chinese, English and Korean, is the first of its kind in the country, according to the Local Police, and occurs during the maximum summer season.

Jeju, a volcanic island south of the Korean Peninsula, is popular for its beaches, walking trails and views of the mountain whipped by the wind. Foreign visitors also come to Jeju to go shopping and gambling.

The guide aims to “avoid misunderstandings due to differences in language and cultural and improve the understanding of foreigners on culture and Korean laws,” said Jeju Police Agency Chief Kim Su-Young.

They will be printed and distributed immediately eight thousand copies of the guide immediately, Kim said.

The guide lists “minor crimes” that are punished with fines. These include smoking in forbidden areas, garbage, jaywalking, drunk and messy behavior, fleeing restaurants without paying meals, urinating or defecating in public, using false identification and raising and breaking into empty houses.

The offenders for the first time are allowed to pass with a warning, but the repeat offenders could be fined with up to 200,000 cattle ($ 143; £ 106), according to a copy of the guide published by the Police.

South Korea has seen a strong rebound to pandemic in tourism. Only Jeju has welcomed seven million visitors so far this year, according to local media.

In 2024, foreign visitors pumped a 9.26 billion records won in the local economy. Almost 70% of these visitors who visited Jeju were from China.

The repression of the island against bad behavior also highlights how tourist access points in Asia have been responding to over-tourism.

Last year, a Japanese city blocked a famous view on the Mount Fuji road to move tourists who seek to take photos and selfies.