'Lee Hyori Cafe' Also Decides to Close... What Will Happen to Jeju's Commercial District?

Last Year, 252 Cafe Closures in Jeju 'Record High'
'Jeju Environmental Conservation Contribution' System Introduction Also Postponed

Lee Hyori also failed to revive the Jeju commercial district. She decided to close the cafe she opened with her husband Lee Sangsoon in 2022 after 1 year and 10 months.

The cafe announced, "We will cease operations on May 31, and it will be available for use without reservations for one month," as a final farewell. Although the reason for closure was not disclosed, the fact that it will be available without reservations indicates a change in atmosphere compared to before. When the cafe first opened, word spread that Lee Sangsoon brewed the coffee and Lee Hyori took photos, attracting crowds waiting all day long. They even suspended operations just two days after opening and implemented a reservation system.

Lee Hyori and Lee Sangsoon couple [Photo by Lee Hyori SNS]

These days, as the number of cafe closures in Jeju reaches an all-time high, it seems Lee Hyori could not escape the impact either. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on local permits for general and rest food establishments, 252 coffee shops closed in Jeju last year. This is a record high, and if the trend continues with 80 cafes already reporting closures in the first quarter of this year, a new record may be set.

The biggest reason cited is the sharp decline in domestic visitors to Jeju. The number of domestic tourists was 13,805,775 in 2022, but decreased by 1,168,941 (8.5%) to 12,636,834 last year. Although foreign tourists increased, it was insufficient to compensate for the reduced number of domestic tourists.

The length of stay also shortened. According to the “2023 Jeju Island Visitor Survey” released by the Jeju Tourism Organization, the average stay of domestic tourists in Jeju decreased from 4.17 days in 2021 to 3.65 days last year, a reduction of 0.5 days compared to the previous year. In 2021, it was 4.57 days, which is 0.9 days shorter than two years ago. The image rating of Jeju also slightly dropped from 4.10 before the trip to 3.97 after the trip, indicating that dissatisfaction or inconvenience occurred during the visit.

Given this situation, the introduction of the 'Jeju Environmental Conservation Contribution Fee' system, which charges tourists a portion of the environmental pollution treatment costs, was also postponed. This reflects a sense of crisis. Jeju Governor Oh Young-hoon said, "Various damages have begun to appear due to the decrease in domestic tourists," adding, "There has been a rapid slowdown in the local economy, and the crisis of self-employed business owners was immediately detected. I felt a sense of crisis that the economic growth rate could turn negative," explaining the decision.