Foreign Tourists Face Criticism for Dancing on Jeju Island

September 18, 2025 | 12:01 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A group of tourists wearing pink cheongsam, also known as qipao, traditional Chinese clothing, danced near the Dongam Temple on Jeju Island in South Korea. The performance was videoed and titled Chinese group dancing at Seongsan Ilchulbong and was uploaded to an online forum on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, as reported by Korea Joongang Daily.

In the video, 10 women performed a dance accompanied by Chinese music. In front of them, a man was wearing a hat and black glasses, while another man held a red banner with the words "Art Troupe" written in Chinese.

The video received criticism from social media users in China. One netizen wrote, "It's fine if they're just dancing, but playing loud music is a bit much," and, "Why are they doing this in another country?" according to Chosun.

However, there were also defenders of the group who described the dance as similar to practicing taekwondo abroad. Additionally, it was mentioned that this is a current trend in China. "I heard it's become a trend for Chinese tourists to dance at tourist spots during group tours," the comment said.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Seongsan Ilchulbong was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. The Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone rises 180 meters above sea level due to an underwater magma flow more than 5,000 years ago, according to the official Korean tourism authority.

Originally, this peak was a separate island, but the accumulation of sand and soil has connected it to the main island. At its peak, a large crater is formed where hot lava mixes with cold seawater. The crater, about 600 meters in diameter and 90 meters deep, has been featured in numerous films. The area was once used for agriculture, but it is now home to 200 species of flora, including silver grass and giant angelica, as well as various species of wildlife.

From its summit, visitors can see Udo Island, enjoy the sunrise, Hallasan Mountain, and the stunning volcanic landscape in the east.

Number of Foreign Tourist Visits

The natural beauty and culture of Jeju Island attract many foreign tourists. According to the Jeju Tourism Association, the island welcomed 1.9 million foreign tourists last year, exceeding the one-million mark for the first time since 2019, before the onset of the pandemic. Chinese tourists contributed the most to this total, with 1.3 million visitors accounting for 68.4 percent of all foreign tourists.

From January to August this year, Jeju Island welcomed 1.5 million foreign tourists, a 15.6 percent increase compared to the previous year. The increase in the number of tourists has affected the lives of residents, as many tourists behave in a manner that does not adhere to local norms. Last month, Jeju launched its first multilingual etiquette notice in the country to maintain order on the resort island in the southern region.

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