Some South Korean tourists’ disturbing behavior has become an issue at a shrine in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, located 50 km from Busan, South Korea.
Some shrines have taken measures to a series of incidents, littering cigarette butts, and entering restricted areas within the premises, which are completely non-smoking areas.
According to the shrine, some of them have been found defecating on the premises. It is believed that there is a lack of understanding of the shrine, such as a lack of distinction between ritual facilities and tourist facilities, but officials have expressed their displeasure, saying that it is a matter of manners.
“Tourists from France, Italy, Spain, Taiwan and many other countries and regions visit, but only Koreans cause trouble. They urinate and defecate in corners of the shrine grounds”, a shrine official said.
Korean tourists had been refused even before the pandemic, and a sign was recently posted at the facility prohibiting entry.
In some cases, when they are warned about disruptive behavior, they are shouted back in Korean. A few days ago, when a shrine employee warned a Korean tourist, he was grabbed by the shoulder and pushed away. This was the first case of violence, and the person apologized in the end when he called the police.
However, there is a fear that the exclusion of Koreans from the area may be pointed out as discrimination. One officer said, “it may be called discrimination, but we have no choice” and added, “we know that not all Koreans are bad, too. But we cannot afford to have guards. When we consulted the government, we were told to defend ourselves individually, so we put up a sign”.
The number of Korean tourists visiting Tsushima once decreased due to the pandemic, but recovered after the international shipping route between Tsushima and Busan was reopened in 2023. While hotels, inns and duty-free shops have been enriched, nuisances, such as unauthorized trespassing on private property, has also become noticeable.
At another shrine, the behavior of Koreans who opened the gate of the shrine office without permission, climbed over a fence that forbade entry, and left plastic bottles and paper cups behind was also observed.
For these reasons, the shrine closed part of its grounds to visitors last autumn, but there have still been cases of Korean tourists entering. The shrine has reportedly taken measures such as asking South Korean tour operators to ensure that tourists have good manners.
Southeast Asian and European worshippers also visit shrines in Tsushima, but they pay respect to Japanese culture. Why do some Koreans engage in behavior considered problematic by shrine officials?
A city tourism official stated that “‘Koreans may misunderstand the shrine as a park and the priests as the park manager, etc.” and added “Some action has been taken, such as playing videos on the ferry, handing out leaflets and appealing for people to stop disturbing people in the shrine, but bad-mannered Koreans don’t see them in the first place.”
