Chinese tourists criticized for dancing on Jeju Island

A video that went viral on Tuesday shows 10 women in pink cheongsam dancing in two lines to Chinese music at Seongsan Ilchulbong, Korea Joongang Daily reported.

In front of them are a man wearing a hat and sunglasses and another man holding a red event banner that reads Art Troupe.

Some users criticized the scene.

One netizen wrote, "Playing loud music and dancing at tourist sites is a nuisance," and, "Why are they behaving like this in another country?" Chosun reported.

Others defended the group, saying, "It’s similar to performing Taekwondo abroad," "Group dancing is a trend among tourists in China," and, "It just looks like they're filming something."

The number of foreign tourists visiting Jeju is steadily increasing.

According to the Jeju Tourism Association, the island welcomed 1.9 million foreign visitors last year, surpassing one million for the first time in five years since before the Covid pandemic in 2019.

Chinese tourists accounted for 1.3 million visitors, or 68.4% of all foreign tourists.

From January to August this year, Jeju received 1.5 million foreign visitors, up 15.6% year-on-year.

Located at the eastern tip of Jeju, Seongsan Ilchulbong, listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, is one of the island's most popular destinations for both domestic and international tourists.