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Mayor vows oversight of tourism services on Ulleung Island after online complaints

Published: 23 Jul. 2025, 21:01

Ulleung Island [JOONGANG ILBO]

Ulleung County Mayor Nam Han-kwon apologized on Wednesday for a wave of complaints posted on YouTube about the island’s low quality of service in the dining and lodging sectors.

“I sincerely apologize for the issues raised regarding the overall quality and pricing of tourism services, as reported through online platforms recently,” Nam said in a statement on the county government’s website. “We will implement strong and sustained measures to ensure that these problems are not repeated.”

Nam acknowledged the structural challenges facing tourism on Ulleung Island, including seasonal demand surges, high prices due to geographic isolation and a shortage of skilled workers.

But he stressed that “these cannot justify unreasonable pricing or poor service.”

He pledged to support the formation of a private-sector tourism council on the island to improve service standards.

“We will help create a cooperative framework to encourage reasonable pricing, implement mandatory country-of-origin labeling, conduct regular checks on hygiene and service quality and introduce a certification system,” Nam said.

The county government will also increase its oversight.

“We will establish a monitoring system to ensure timely inspections in the event of complaints and promote channels through which tourists can report issues,” he said.

Nam concluded by urging residents to help restore the island’s reputation.

"I ask for the active participation of Ulleung residents so that visitors can leave with good memories and choose to return,” he said. “I also hope the public will recognize our efforts and join us in improving the island.”

The apology came in response to a video uploaded by a YouTuber who recently visited Ulleung Island.

The video showed a restaurant serving pork belly with a large portion of fat and a guesthouse owner refusing to address a broken air conditioner or apologize for the inconvenience.

A screenshot from a YouTube video shows pork belly with a large portion of fat served at a restaurant on Ulleung Island. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“Things that should be normal just aren’t on Ulleung Island,” the YouTuber said in the video. “I wonder if younger people would want to visit, or if they’d ever come back after one trip.”

The video quickly spread online, triggering backlash against the island’s tourism sector.

Mayor Nam responded by sharing the video on his Facebook page and said: “We will take the criticism from the YouTuber and various media outlets as lessons and use this as a chance to improve.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]