Min Hyungbae: "Sharp Rise in Hate Rallies in Myeongdong... Stronger Response Needed" [2025 National Audit]

Min Hyungbae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, emphasized during the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit on October 20 that the Korea Tourism Organization must take stronger action in response to the recent anti-Chinese protests in Myeongdong, which have become a serious issue.

Assemblyman Min stated, "There has been a significant increase in hate rallies targeting foreign tourists, especially Chinese tourists, in tourism special zones such as Jamsil and Myeongdong. About 30% of the rallies in Myeongdong are hate rallies, and the number of such gatherings has surged from 4 last year to 56 this year, a fourteenfold increase." He further pointed out, "The total number of rallies has increased dramatically, but hate rallies, in particular, have risen to an extreme degree. As these hate rallies become a regular occurrence, Myeongdong, a tourism special zone, has unfortunately become a symbol of hate rallies."

Min Hyungbae, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Assemblyman Min also noted, "These hate protests are escalating to the point where they threaten the safety of tourists," adding, "There have been reports of rally participants striking citizens on the head with Taegeukgi flagpoles."

He criticized the Korea Tourism Organization for only monitoring the situation despite its seriousness, and stressed the need for more proactive measures.

Seo Youngchung, Acting President of the Korea Tourism Organization, responded, "We are maintaining continuous interest and ongoing monitoring. Although these protests are having some impact on the inbound tourism market, we do not consider the situation to be at a critical level." Seo further explained, "We are working to foster a welcoming atmosphere through local social media channels, and are currently discussing the issue with domestic travel industry associations as well."

Seo added, "Last year, 28.72 million Koreans traveled abroad. Regardless of the destination country, any threat against a particular country can be reciprocated as a threat to our own citizens traveling abroad. We recognize the seriousness of this issue."