Seoul legislators work to end all tourism.

The next time a Korean person asks you why tourists don't come to Korea in the same numbers as they do to Japan or China......

.... refer them to this.

The Seoul government, in its infinite insanity, has decided to make a major chunk of downtown Seoul hangeul only. That's right, the area west on the royal palace will no longer have any non-Korean (ie- English and hanja) signage anywhere. By law. The area is currently a major tourist area as it contains many historical buildings and hotels. There will also be a hangeul/King Sejeong museum (I wonder if it will be hangeul only?) Instead of signage that tourists could read, they will offer a centre where foreigners can learn the hangeul alphabet. Exactly what most tourists want to do while on vacation.

Now I am normally the first to criticize all the people and blogs that put down Korea without really understanding what is going on, but this is just dumb. Plain and simply stupid. I'm sure this decision comes as welcome news in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and even Tokyo, where tourists will now go and spend more time now that Seoul is less appealing. A few thoughts:

1- People who might have come to Seoul otherwise will not. This includes conventions, tour groups and just backpackers. Especially conventions as they will need their attendees to be able to use whatever their native language is for work.
2- Koreans often complain that westerners don't know about Korea. We say Sea of Japan and not east sea, we think Manchuria has always been Chinese, we don't know (care) about Dok-do. Then they go and make their country even less accessable to non-Korean speakers than it already is in the one city that has previously been very accessable.
3- having a museum or district dedicated to Joseon accomplishments is a great idea, so to ruin it by making it inaccessable to non-Koreans is a tragedy and a loss to all non-Koreans.


While it amazes me that someone can live here a year or two and pick up no more Korean than yes, no, thank you and two beers please (and many do) I don't think for a minute that this should apply to tourists. I spent three days in Cambodia. Can't speak a word of Khmer. I've spent about 3 months in Thailand and I know, thank you, hello and foreigner.

I'm not sure what they were thinking, but obviously they didn't think about it hard enough.