Yonhap reported on November 5 that the actions of a Vietnamese female tourist in Seoul received mixed opinions from the online community. This article also quickly received attention from the Korean online community and ranked number 1 in the most read content of the day.
Accordingly, Ms. H., living in Hanoi, during a trip to Korea at the end of October, posed for a yoga pose “planting a banana tree” in a tight-fitting outfit in front of the stone wall next to the Gwanghwamun Gate at Gyeongbokgung Palace. She was the one who posted the video and photos of herself posing for yoga on social media.
Immediately after the photos and videos were widely shared on social networks such as TikTok, Facebook..., this woman continuously received harsh comments, many social network users commented that this behavior was "annoying" and "inappropriate".
The article quoted some comments from social media users: “Like the Hue Imperial City, a historical relic of Vietnam, Canh Phuc Palace is also a sacred place in Korea”; “This woman’s actions are shameful”; “Yoga is good for health but exposing the body in public like this is offensive and rude”; “This place is very sacred and a symbol of Korean tourism”…
However, Ms. H. argued that the criticism online was excessive, claiming that her actions did not violate regulations and that the security guard of Canh Phuc Palace did not warn her at that time.
A series of leading newspapers, magazines, and news sites in Korea such as Chosun, The Joong Ang, Hankyung, News Nate... also reported on this incident.
Public opinion in Korea has many controversial opinions surrounding the images of female tourists.
One account commented on Naver: “I don’t think there’s a problem. Practice more. Korea is a free and democratic country, so you can practice yoga without any worries. The image of you practicing yoga in leggings looks very healthy and beautiful.”
Another person cited a fashion show at Gyeongbokgung Palace. “I don’t think it’s wrong to wear leggings and do handstands outside Gyeongbokgung Palace,” he said.
Meanwhile, many people were puzzled by the tourist's actions. "If you're here, just visit quietly, why do strange things in a place where there are many tourists?", one person asked.
“It’s a bit unsightly anyway,” one comment below the article said. Some people said that even if this action was aimed at promoting a tourist destination, it was an inappropriate and somewhat “rude” way of promoting.
Regarding this issue, MSc. Le Huy Khoa, Director of the Kanata Vietnam-Korea Korean Language Center, who used to be Coach Park Hang Seo's language assistant, cited Korean regulations, with behaviors that are not in accordance with traditional customs and practices, can be imprisoned for up to one year and fined up to 5 million won (about 100 million VND).
He added that, in addition to complying with the law, each person needs to comply with the rules of conduct in society and act in accordance with good customs.
“Sometimes, just one sensitive action by an individual can affect the image of a group. Obviously, we need to be very careful when abroad,” Mr. Khoa shared with Lao Dong.
