UK tourists face 5pm 'curfew' and breaking it will mean £54 fine

South Korea has come up with a "novel way" to clamp down on UK tourists. Tourists heading out of the European Union for Asia have been warned over a crackdown from the go-to hotspot and destination amid rows and protests over overcrowding.

Bukchon Hanok Village warned increased tourism has become more than an inconvenience for the residents, who complain about noise, littering, public urination and invasion of privacy. Kwon Young-doo, owner of a private art gallery in Seoul’s historic Bukchon Hanok Village, is concerned about an impending curfew policy aimed at mitigating overtourism in the area.

The curfew, set for a trial in November and to be officially launched in March next year, will limit tourist access to specific areas of Bukchon from 5 p.m. (0800 GMT) to 10 a.m. “Who would want to visit?” said Kwon, the owner of the Asian Cultural Art Museum.

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“They’ll leave with a bad impression of South Korea.” The government is now working on a trial curfew in November, which is set to be fully implemented in March 2025, reports farout magazine. Certain areas of Bukchon will have no visitor access from 5pm to 10am the following day. Those violating the curfew will be asked to pay £54 ($70).

“People come for just a day to enjoy themselves, and the noise from parties is extremely loud,” said Kim Eun-mee, who lives next to a hanok stay. “It’s often difficult to maintain a normal daily routine due to disturbances like people dragging suitcases around even during the early hours, which frequently wakes me up.”

Lee Dong-woo, CEO of hanok stay booking platform BUTLER.LEE, said the business took off when owners who found it difficult to renovate or maintain old houses entrusted the property to hospitality businesses. “These requests are driving the expansion, not because we are actively evicting current residents to operate hanok stays, which is completely untrue,” Lee who manages 17 hanok stays in Bukchon said.