Inspection of Tourist Information Signs for Non-Standard Korean Orthography, Typos, and Errors
Seoul Love Gift Certificates to Be Provided to the First 100 Reporters of Finalized Errors
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 16th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will conduct a comprehensive inspection of foreign language tourist information signs with incorrect notations to prepare for the influx of foreign tourists visiting Seoul in the post-COVID-19 era. This year, the city will operate both an ‘Error Sign Reporting System’ targeting foreign residents in Korea and general citizens, as well as a ‘Foreigners On-site Inspection Team.’
The ‘Error Sign Reporting System’ is open to all Seoul citizens, foreign residents in Seoul, and tourists, with the inspection area covering the entire city of Seoul. Those wishing to participate can access the Naver form and submit a report by uploading a photo of the sign and location information if they find errors on any of the five types of Seoul tourist information signs.
The reporting period runs from the 17th to June 15th. If multiple reports are made for the same error sign, the first reporter will be selected as the recipient. If the sign is ultimately judged to have a notation error, the reporter will receive a Seoul Love Gift Certificate worth 10,000 KRW per case, up to a total of 1,000,000 KRW.
Whether the foreign language notation is correct can be verified on the ‘Seoul Foreign Language Notation Dictionary’ website.
Additionally, through the ‘Foreigners On-site Inspection Team,’ which has been operating since 2013, ten major tourist spots in Seoul will be intensively inspected. The team will recruit a total of 30 members: 10 English speakers, 10 Chinese speakers, and 10 Japanese speakers. Each member will be assigned two of the ten tourist spots to inspect and submit a completion report, for which they will receive Seoul Love Gift Certificates as activity compensation.
The recruitment period is from the 17th to the 23rd, and the activity period is scheduled from June 1st to 15th. For detailed information on how to apply, inquiries can be made via the Foreigners On-site Inspection Team’s operating email or phone.
Signs submitted through the ‘Error Sign Reporting System’ and the ‘Foreigners On-site Inspection Team’ will be evaluated for notation errors through expert consultation, and emergency maintenance will be carried out on signs found to have errors.
Meanwhile, the inspection of tourist information signs is conducted annually to resolve inconveniences for foreign tourists and provide high-quality tourist information services by checking for non-compliance with Seoul’s foreign language notation standards, typos, misspellings, missing or omitted foreign language notations, and other issues. Last year, six tourist special zones in Seoul, including Itaewon and Jamsil, were intensively inspected, resulting in 224 out of 400 reported cases being confirmed as notation errors and undergoing emergency inspection.
Joo Yong-tae, Director of the Seoul Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, “We have been conducting regular annual inspections of foreign language tourist information signs to provide accurate tourist information and create a safe tourism environment for foreigners visiting Seoul.” He added, “Especially this year, in line with the new leap forward in Seoul tourism in the post-COVID-19 era, we have prepared a campaign involving citizens, and we ask for your active interest and participation.”
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