Some restaurants on Ulleung Island are facing criticism for being expensive and generally unfriendly to tourists, prompting the head of Ulleung County to apologize and step in as the phrase 'worst travel destination' has emerged.
According to Ulleung County and other sources in Gyeongbuk on the 23rd, the head of Ulleung County, Nam Han-gwon, recently posted a statement on the official website of Ulleung County, saying, 'I express my deep sense of responsibility and sincere apologies regarding the overall quality and pricing issues related to tourism services that have been conveyed through online platforms.'
Criticism of the high prices and the inappropriate attitude of restaurants and accommodations toward guests on Ulleung Island has been raised several times, primarily online. Recently, a video uploaded by a travel YouTuber named 'Kkujun,' who has 550,000 subscribers, sparked attention.
On the 19th, Kkujun uploaded a video on his YouTube channel titled 'Is Ulleung Island really like this? I'm quite taken aback as it's my first visit.' He ordered a serving (120g) of pork belly for 15,000 won at a meat restaurant on Ulleung Island, but the video showed that more than half of the received meat was fat.
Kkujun asked the restaurant, 'Are you intentionally giving half fat?' The restaurant staff responded, 'We don't cut the meat like mainland restaurants do, nor do we serve pork belly the way it's traditionally served; we chop it roughly,' and added, 'It tends to produce less fat than elsewhere. Guests say it tastes good when grilled.'
In a guesthouse that Kkujun used, despite the air conditioning not working, the owner took no action and did not even apologize. The accommodation fee was 90,000 won, which was pointed out to be expensive compared to the similar accommodation fees in major cities, which are around 40,000 to 50,000 won. Kkujun remarked, 'Ulleung Island is an island where what is considered normal is not normal.' He questioned whether young people would visit Ulleung Island again after their first visit.
As the travel environment of Ulleung Island became controversial again with the content of the video, County Head Nam stated, 'While there are realistic difficulties in improvement due to high prices arising from geographical characteristics as an island, the concentration of high season, and a lack of skilled labor, I also understand that this cannot excuse unreasonable pricing or unfriendly service.' He added, 'I will establish strong and consistent improvement measures to ensure that such incidents do not happen again as a fundamental issue that must be improved.'
County Head Nam specifically promised to support the formation of a private-sector tourism service council, introduce reasonable pricing and a labeling system for origin, regularly inspect service friendliness and hygiene management, derive standardized service protocols, conduct on-site inspections at the county level, revitalize complaint reporting channels, and offer immediate on-site guidance in case of issues. He also stated, 'I will fully implement a long-term project called the 'Emerald Campaign' to fundamentally enhance the quality of tourism services and improve the regional image and trust.'
Nam urged the residents of Ulleung County, saying, 'In order to fundamentally resolve this issue, the voluntary efforts of all residents, including the administration, are necessary.' He emphasized, 'Only when everyone shares and practices the common value of 'a reasonable, friendly, and clean Ulleung' can the issues be resolved and trust in the region can be restored.'
The owner of the 'fat pork belly' restaurant that appeared in Kkujun's video explained on a broadcast, 'It was my oversight.' He said, 'I think the staff cut the meat that had been set aside while I was at the hospital that day. The part of the meat is from the front leg, but it was set aside for stew,' and added, 'I guess the staff made a mistake being alone, but it's still my responsibility.' He apologized, saying, 'I'm very sorry to the YouTuber and to the people of Ulleung Island.'