"I'm a foreigner, and you want me to sign up and give you my phone number?" ... Foreign Tourists in South Korea More Dissatisfied Than in Japan

Complaints in 11% of Posts About South Korea, vs. 7% for Japan
“Digital Services,” Including Sign-Ups and Logins, Top Source of Frustration

Foreign tourists have been found to experience more dissatisfaction with travel in South Korea than in Japan. The area they found most inconvenient during their trips to South Korea was digital services, including account registration, login and app access.

According to a report comparing travel inconveniences in South Korea and Japan by Yanolja Research, released on October 24 by Kim Yoon-deok, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee representing Jeonju Gap in North Jeolla Province, about 11% of posts related to travel in South Korea contained at least one expression of dissatisfaction. That was 4 percentage points higher than the rate for Japan, at about 7%.

Digital services accounted for the largest share of inconveniences experienced in South Korea, at 27.8%. They were followed by tourism information and guidance at 16.4%, transportation at 13.1%, and payments at 12.0%. Together, these four areas accounted for 69.3% of all reported inconveniences. More specifically, tourists cited problems with service registration and verification, payment methods, digital service errors, and directions and navigation.

In Japan, by contrast, transportation-related inconveniences were the most common, at 23%, followed by sightseeing and experiences (15.9%) and dining (12.8%).

Foreign tourists crowd Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on the 19th.

The report analyzed English-language posts about travel in South Korea and Japan published on the online community Reddit from January 2023 through December 2025. It divided tourists’ inconveniences into 11 categories, including transportation, accommodation, dining, payments and digital services, and compared the intensity of sentiment. Negative sentiment toward travel in South Korea was stronger than toward travel in Japan in seven of the categories.

Foreign tourists’ complaints about travel in South Korea included comments such as, “Creating an account or logging in is too difficult,” and “A Korean phone number is required.” Other posts described overseas-issued credit cards being declined and Apple Pay not being accepted, as well as being told that only cash was accepted in places such as Myeong-dong, Seoul. Some also said that when they accessed Korean apps from abroad, they were blocked because their IP addresses were classified as “suspicious.”

Comments also repeatedly described receiving unpleasant looks or experiencing unfriendly attitudes because they were foreigners. Some said they had been denied entry to certain establishments because they could not communicate in English.

“Tourists visit expecting South Korea to be dynamic, sophisticated and welcoming, as portrayed in K-dramas and other content on global platforms. Experiences like these can make them feel alienated and ashamed,” Kim said. “The government must develop measures across all ministries to promptly address the inconveniences faced by foreign tourists visiting South Korea.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.