"Thought They Were Just Tourists"...Chinese Illegal Religion Causes Nuisance and Proselytizes at Korean Tourist Site?

Suspected Illegal Chinese Sect "Falun Gong"
"There Were Recruiters at the Entrance Road as Well," Witness Says

Chinese people suspected of being Falun Gong practitioners practicing exercises at Geoje Maemiseong. Screenshot from an online community.

Chinese nationals wearing yellow clothes and engaging in group activities at Maemiseong, a major tourist attraction in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, have been caught on camera and are facing heavy criticism from online users.

On February 9, a video and post titled "Chinese Tour Groups Causing Nuisance at Tourist Sites" were uploaded to an online community. In the video, seven Chinese nationals, all dressed in matching yellow outfits, can be seen in a corner next to the beach performing various movements in time with a particular piece of music.

In front of them were placards bearing the phrases "Mantra," "Falun Dafa is good," and "'Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance' is good." They are believed to be practitioners of Falun Gong, a Chinese mind-body cultivation practice that has been treated as illegal and persecuted as a religious group in China since 1999. Recently, they have also been carrying out missionary activities in South Korea, such as touring famous domestic tourist destinations to display their presence.

The person who reported the incident said, "I finally witnessed in person the kind of nuisance behavior by Chinese groups that I had only seen on the news. When I think about how such nuisance will only increase as the Chinese population in our country grows, I worry about the future of our children," adding, "Is it really acceptable to behave like that at a tourist attraction that tens of thousands of people visit in a single day?"

An even bigger problem, it is said, was that there were two more Falun Gong recruiters stationed at the entrance road in front of Maemiseong. They appeared to be playing Chinese songs loudly through speakers in an attempt to proselytize passersby.

A citizen who visited the site said, "I was angry to see a space built on an individual's blood, sweat, and tears being turned into a venue for a particular religion's missionary work," and stressed, "Strong crackdowns and strict management are needed at the level of Geoje City."