Gyeonggi Province to Conduct Safety Inspections of 3,678 Rural Guesthouses

Gyeonggi Province will conduct safety inspections of rural guesthouses (pensions) ahead of the summer vacation season.

On June 17, Gyeonggi Provincial Government announced plans to conduct intensive inspections of rural guesthouses in the province until July 11. The inspections will focus on facilities such as officetels and residential homes where accommodation businesses are not permitted, unregistered or unreported rural guesthouses, violations of fire and safety regulations, illegal expansions, and businesses suspected of operating through loopholes.

Operators of rural guesthouses are legally required to display signage indicating their status as rural guesthouse businesses on the entrance doors of the guesthouse and on their websites. The business registration certificate and price list must also be posted in a visible location within the property.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Currently, rural guesthouses operate under a reporting system. To run a rural guesthouse business, operators must report to the local mayor or county governor. Separate reports are also required when changing the business details or closing the business.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government emphasized that unregistered rural guesthouses are not subject to safety inspections or supervision by administrative agencies, and therefore cannot fully guarantee the safety of guests. The government urged caution when using these facilities during the summer season.

The registration status of rural guesthouses can be checked through the 'Pre-disclosure of Information' section on the Gyeonggi Provincial Government website (gg.go.kr) or on the websites of each city and county.

Lee Munmu, Director of Agricultural Policy at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Illegal and unregistered rural guesthouse facilities may not be safe, so you must check in advance to ensure the facility is officially registered and safe before using it," and added, "If you discover an illegal and unregistered rural guesthouse, please report it immediately to the guesthouse or health department of the relevant city or county."

As of the end of last year, there were 3,678 rural guesthouses in the province, making it the fifth largest among all metropolitan local governments in the country.