Tsushima Shrine Bans Korean Tourists
Seo Kyung-duk: "A True National Disgrace... Fueling Anti-Korean Sentiment"
The sign saying "Koreans Prohibited" posted at Watazumi Shrine in Tsushima, Japan. FNN broadcast screen
Recently, a famous shrine in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, has completely banned tourist access due to the inconsiderate behavior of some Korean tourists, prompting calls for self-reflection.
On the 25th, Japanese Sankei Shimbun and others reported that "Watazumi Shrine has prohibited entry to the shrine grounds for anyone except shrine visitors and worshippers since the 23rd." Tsushima, where the shrine is located, is only about 50 km from Busan and is a popular tourist destination for Koreans. According to Sankei Shimbun, as the influx of Korean tourists surged, Watazumi Shrine has been suffering from issues such as trash and excrement left by Korean tourists, as well as smoking.
The shrine posted on Facebook on the 21st a photo of a man smoking near the shrine, appealing, "A Korean person smoked again. Smoking is prohibited in and around the shrine, so please follow the rules." Then, on the 22nd, the shrine claimed that a Korean man assaulted a shrine staff member. According to a video released by the shrine, a Korean man speaking in the Gyeongsang dialect shouted, "I'm not leaving, I'm not leaving, you XX," at a staff member who was trying to stop illegal parking near the shrine. Furthermore, on the 23rd, the shrine warned, "Korean tourists are eating bread and drinks at food trucks near the shrine and then throwing trash inside the shrine. The shrine is not here to collect garbage."
In response, Professor Seokyung Deok of Sungshin Women's University criticized on his social media on the 28th, calling it "a real national embarrassment" and stating, "These situations are widely spread through SNS in Japan, providing a pretext for 'anti-Korean' sentiment."
He pointed out, "Recently, the misconduct of Korean tourists in Japan has been worsening day by day, which is very concerning," and emphasized, "Koreans traveling abroad in the future must strictly observe basic 'global etiquette' to avoid damaging the image of the Republic of Korea."
In fact, last month, a Korean woman was arrested for hitting a Japanese customs officer who tried to stop her from filming a Korean idol member in a no-photography zone at Fukuoka Airport in Japan. Also, in January, a Korean teenage boy traveling in Japan was arrested in Osaka on charges of sexually harassing a Japanese high school girl, causing controversy.
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