【Seoul = Newsis】 Reporter Lee Jae-eun = Jongno-gu, Seoul, announced on the 30th that it will pilot a policy to restrict tourist visiting hours starting the 1st of next month, aimed at protecting the residential rights of Bukchon residents and establishing a proper tourism culture.

In the "Red Zone" within the Bukchon Special Management Area, tourist access will be restricted from 5:00 PM to 10:00 AM the following day. However, residents, their acquaintances and relatives, merchants, lodging guests, and store patrons will be permitted to enter.

District Mayor Chung Moon-hun also plans to participate in a promotional campaign for the visiting hour restrictions on the first day of implementation, November 1st, around Bukchon-ro 11-gil, to raise awareness of the policy's importance and distribute promotional materials.

To minimize confusion during the initial implementation phase, the district will deploy management personnel to strengthen on-site guidance and promotion, and intends to improve the policy while maintaining a sufficient grace period until February 28 of next year.

Full-scale enforcement will begin on March 1 of next year. Tourists entering the Red Zone during restricted hours will be subject to a fine of 100,000 won.

Previously, the district designated Bukchon as a Special Management Area on July 1, dividing it into Red, Yellow, and Orange zones in consideration of the level of inconvenience experienced by residents.

Among these, the Red Zone is a densely populated residential Hanok area visited by the highest number of tourists. Therefore, to protect the living environment of residents during morning and evening hours, a plan was devised to impose fines to encourage tourists to voluntarily comply with basic order.

In addition, the district will implement restrictions on chartered bus (tour bus) traffic starting January 2026. This is to resolve issues with illegal bus parking and alleviate traffic congestion.

The policy centers on restricting chartered bus traffic within the restricted area at all times, including weekends and public holidays. Commuter buses, school buses, and community buses will be permitted to pass.

The target area is the approximately 2.3 km section from Bukchon-ro and Bukchon-ro 5-gil to Changdeokgung 1-gil, where illegal bus parking is frequent. While the July 1st Special Management Area designation notice announced only the Bukchon-ro area as a traffic restriction zone, the scope has been expanded to include roads near Jae-dong Elementary School, which has a school zone, to prevent the "balloon effect" and ensure safety.

The district expects that restricting chartered bus traffic will encourage a pedestrian-centered tourism culture where buses park on the outskirts of the town and tourists approach on foot.

District Mayor Chung stated, "This policy is an essential measure to protect the comfortable residential life of residents while maintaining the traditional value of Bukchon," adding, "We will do our utmost to minimize inconvenience to residents and preserve the beauty of the Hanok village."

Restricted Area: Approximately 34,000㎡ around Bukchon-ro 11-gil
Restricted Hours: 17:00 to 10:00 the following day
Restriction Details: Prohibition of tourist visits to the restricted area during restricted hours
Pilot Period: November 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025
Enforcement Date: March 1, 2025
Fine for Violation: 100,000 won

These are English translations of articles from our GTTOUR Japanese website.