"If You Don't Buy Local Specialties, You Can't Board the Ferry": Controversy Over 30 Tourists Confined on Ulleungdo... "There Wasn't Even a Police Report"

“YouTube Video Claims Police and Coast Guard Responded, 10 Million Won in Compensation”
Ulleung County: “No Related Reports Filed” ... Requests Video Removal, Weighs Legal Action
Small Businesses and Charter Bus Industry Push Back: “Address Actual H

Local residents are pushing back against a YouTube video claiming that 30 tourists on a package tour of Ulleungdo were confined and forced to buy local specialties. Contrary to the video's claims that police and the coast guard were dispatched to rescue the tourists and that they received 10 million won in compensation, relevant agencies have found no record of a related report. After Ulleung County announced plans to take legal action, small business owners and the charter bus industry also called for evidence and corrections.

Key scenes from a YouTube video in which 30 tourists claim they were confined and pressured to buy local specialties during a package tour of Ulleungdo. Ulleung County said it found no report of the incident after checking with the police, coast guard and other relevant agencies, and announced plans to take legal action. YouTube screen capture.

According to Ulleung County and other sources on October 30, the controversy began with a video posted on October 23 to the YouTube channel "Sigeol Eobu," titled "The Final Forced-Selling Incident on an Ulleungdo Package Tour."

The video claims that on the final day of a two-night, three-day trip, a tour guide locked 30 passengers in a warehouse at a local specialty direct-sales store and threatened not to give them tickets for the return ferry unless they bought 300,000 won worth of squid, pumpkin taffy and other products per person. It further claims that police and the coast guard were dispatched, rescued the tourists, arrested the guide, and that the victims received 10 million won in compensation.

However, the video does not identify the date and location of the alleged incident, the travel agency, or the guide. No materials verifying the alleged confinement or police response have been found. Rather than showing footage of the actual incident, the video features images of the island and sea, overlaid with narration and subtitles.

In an official statement on October 27, Ulleung County said that checks with the police and coast guard found no record of a related report. The county plans to take legal action over the spread of false information that damages the reputations of local residents and businesses. It is seeking to have the video removed and is also considering whether charges of defamation and business interference could apply.

The absence of a report does not, by itself, establish that no harm occurred. However, given that the video makes specific claims of a police response and an arrest, its creator is being asked to provide objective evidence.

A statement issued by Ulleung County, the Ulleung County Small Business Association, and the Ulleung County Charter Bus Operators' Council regarding a YouTube video alleging that tourists on package tours to Ulleungdo were pressured into purchases and confined. They are demanding objective evidence for the claims made in the video, expressing concern about damage to the local tourism industry from the spread of unverified information, and considering legal action.

The local tourism industry also pushed back. On October 30, the Ulleung County Small Business Association said, "Ulleungdo is not an island that should be sacrificed for someone else's views," and called on the video's creator to provide evidence, remove and correct false information, and apologize. The Ulleung County Charter Bus Operators' Council likewise said, "The efforts of the entire tourism industry should not be discredited by one-sided claims," and called on relevant agencies to establish the facts.

Both groups said they would join efforts to make improvements if price gouging, unkind service, or unfair commercial practices were confirmed. They said legitimate complaints from tourists should be distinguished from the spread of unverified allegations of criminal conduct.

The controversy has emerged amid a downturn in Ulleungdo's tourism industry. The number of tourists to Ulleungdo fell 24.8% over three years, from 461,375 in 2022 to 347,086 last year. This year, the figure stood at just 223,370 as of September 22. Difficulties for local businesses have continued amid disruptions to ferry services, high travel costs, and previous controversies over price gouging.

The YouTube channel in question was launched in February this year and, as of October 30, had approximately 22,100 subscribers and about 16.84 million cumulative views. Ulleung County and local industry groups plan to verify the video's claims, collect accounts of harm, and decide whether to take legal action.

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