President Lee Targets Price Gouging This Time, Saying It "Must Be Uprooted"

President Lee Jae-myung on the 25th took direct aim at price gouging, rudeness, and excessive touting in Korea’s tourism sector.

Presiding over the 11th Expanded National Tourism Strategy Meeting himself, Lee Jae-myung described such practices as "vicious abuses" and declared, "We must make sure to uproot them in advance." Anticipating a sharp increase in demand for travel to Korea ahead of large-scale events such as BTS concerts, the government immediately launched cross-ministerial measures to eradicate these problems, including mandatory price labeling and tougher penalties such as business suspension for a first violation.
In his opening remarks, Lee Jae-myung highlighted the growth of inbound tourism, noting, "The number of foreign tourists reached 18.93 million last year, setting a new record, and the era of 20 million visitors is just around the corner." He went on to stress, "To usher in the era of 30 million visitors by 2030, we need a major shift from quantitative growth to qualitative growth."
He particularly warned, "If we are satisfied with a reality in which 80% of foreign tourists are concentrated in Seoul, we will inevitably hit a ceiling in growth." He argued that the opportunities and benefits of tourism growth must not be confined to Seoul, but should spread to neighborhood businesses and small local merchants across the country. This is the first time in seven years, since 2019, that a president has attended this meeting.

The government also moved swiftly with joint measures across ministries in line with Lee Jae-myung’s message of eradicating price gouging. The Ministry of Economy and Finance and other relevant ministries announced a "price gouging eradication plan" targeting recurring disputes over excessive charges in lodging, transportation, and dining. The core elements are mandatory price displays and immediate sanctions for violations. Penalties will be significantly toughened: by revising relevant laws such as the Food Sanitation Act and the Public Health Control Act, the current system centered on warnings and corrective orders will be overhauled so that even a first violation can result in a five-day business suspension.
At the meeting, Lee Jae-myung also called for expanding regional airports and cruise infrastructure and improving immigration procedures, saying, "We need to examine and review these issues in meticulous detail from the perspective of demand, not suppliers."
Attending the meeting as chair of the Visit Korea Committee, Hotel Shilla president Lee Boo-jin said, "For people from overseas, Korea has become not just a country they want to visit, but a stylish country where they want to feel what Korea is like and live like Korean people." She added, "Our committee will work with the government to identify and promote content tailored to different nationalities and needs, so that foreign visitors can travel to a wide range of regions and experience the serenity of our culture."
west@fnnews.com Seong Seok-woo, Kim Chan-mi Reporter