Overtourism Woes in ‘Bukchon Hanok Village’... Tourists Allowed Entry Only During Daytime

Jongno-gu Imposes Visiting Time Restrictions in Bukchon Special Management Area Red Zone
Pilot Operation Starts Next Month 1, 100,000 KRW Fine from March Next Year
Chartered Bus Traffic Restricted in the Area from 2026

Bukchon Hanok Village Filled with Tourists / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Jongno-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeong Munheon) announced on the 30th that it will pilot a policy restricting tourist visiting hours starting from the 1st of next month to protect the residential rights of Bukchon residents and establish a proper tourism culture.

Accordingly, from November 1st, tourist access will be restricted in the Red Zone within the Bukchon Special Management Area from 5 PM to 10 AM the following day. However, access will be allowed for residents and their acquaintances and relatives, merchants, lodging guests, and store customers.

Jongno-gu, which has been struggling with the problem of overtourism, designated Bukchon as a Special Management Area on July 1st and divided the area into Red Zone, Yellow Zone, and Orange Zone based on the level of inconvenience to residents, restricting tourist visiting hours accordingly. Among these, the Red Zone is designated as a residential area densely populated with traditional Hanok houses that attract the most tourists.

The district plans to impose fines in this area to protect residents' living environment during morning and evening hours and encourage tourists to voluntarily comply with basic rules. Full-scale enforcement will begin on March 1st next year. The imposition of fines (100,000 KRW) on tourists entering the Red Zone during restricted hours will also start from that date.

To minimize confusion during the initial implementation, Jongno-gu will deploy management personnel to strengthen on-site guidance and publicity, and maintain an educational period until February 28th next year, the day before enforcement, while continuously improving the policy.

Meanwhile, starting January 2026, Jongno-gu will implement restrictions on charter bus (tourist bus) traffic to solve illegal bus parking issues and alleviate traffic congestion. Accordingly, charter bus traffic will be restricted at all times, including weekends and holidays, within the restricted area. However, commuter buses, school buses, and village buses will be allowed.

The target area is a section of about 2.3 km from Bukchon-ro and Bukchon-ro 5-gil to Changdeokgung 1-gil, where illegal bus parking is frequent. Although the July 1st Special Management Area designation announcement initially limited the traffic restriction zone to the Bukchon-ro area, Jongno-gu explained that the scope was expanded to include roads near Jaedong Elementary School, a child protection zone, to prevent displacement effects and safety accidents.

Mayor Jeong Munheon stated, “This policy is an essential measure to maintain the traditional value of Bukchon while protecting the comfortable residential life of residents,” and added, “We will do our utmost to minimize residents’ inconvenience and preserve the beauty of the Hanok Village.”