On Hallasan in Jeju, a woman believed to be Chinese was caught letting a child defecate on a hiking trail, sparking controversy.
On the Hallasan National Park website's "Suggestions" board, a post titled "Can't anything be done about Chinese people defecating and shouting on Hallasan?" was uploaded on Oct. 14.
Writer A said, "I hiked the Seongpanak course of Hallasan on Sept. 30. It was my first time in two years, and in the meantime the number of foreign tourists has increased a lot. What made it most uncomfortable was the Chinese among them," and noted, "What was shocking was what I witnessed on the way down."
A said, "Between Baeknokdam and the Jindallaebat shelter, I saw a woman next to the trail holding a child (about 6–7 years old)," and added, "I looked to see what was going on and there was feces in the flower bed. She had taken off all the child's pants and was letting the child defecate."
A went on, "She wiped only the child's bottom and left the feces as it was," and said, "I was going to just pass by, but I took a photo," posting two pictures.
In the released photos, a child is crouching with pants down on wooden steps as if defecating. Next to the child, a woman believed to be a guardian is holding tissue in one hand as if to wipe the child's bottom.
A said, "On our proud and beautiful Hallasan, in our azalea field that will bloom so fair and lovely, feces," and added, "It is absolutely necessary to strictly inform people that they can be punished for nuisance behavior."
In response to the complaint, the Hallasan National Park Office said, "We will produce and post signboards related to trail safety rules and norms (in Chinese) at each trail, further strengthen patrol personnel to prevent such behavior from occurring, and provide guidance on the spot and take legal action immediately upon witnessing it."
Meanwhile, disorderly behavior by foreign tourists in Jeju has repeatedly sparked controversy. In April, a video spread of a foreign woman smoking on a city bus and being stopped by passengers and the driver, drawing criticism. On Oct. 10, a witness account was posted that a child believed to be Chinese defecated at Yongmeori Coast, which is designated as a natural monument.