Should You Vacation in South Korea? Experts Weigh In Amid Political Unrest

Ongoing political turmoil in South Korea in the aftermath of a martial law declaration and its subsequent lifting has thrown the global perception of the country into question. But experts say the latest events are not likely to have a long-term impact on South Korea’s tourism, and its entertainment industry “remains resilient.”

The phenomenal success of South Korea’s cultural exports—including K-drama series like the runaway hit Squid Game, Netflix’s biggest show of all time based on viewership whose highly anticipated second season premieres on the streaming platform this month, and global K-pop stars BTS and Blackpink—has seen tourists flock to the country in recent years.

But the Korean wave has been overshadowed recently by the political chaos that unfolded over a matter of days. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration on December 3 was overturned by a unanimous vote against it on December 4 by members of the country’s National Assembly.

Scenes of public outcry and protests in South Korea have continued after a failed impeachment vote held last week and the National Assembly are due to hold a second impeachment vote on Saturday.

Amid the continued political unrest, is it safe to visit South Korea at this time?

Is It Safe To Travel to South Korea?

Several countries have issued travel warnings, including the U.S. The U.S. embassy in South Korea advises that “the political situation in South Korea remains fluid. U.S. citizens should anticipate increased protests and potential disruptions to transportation, especially in the area around the National Assembly.”

The U.S. embassy says: “When in public, pay attention to your surroundings and exercise routine safety precautions. You should avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large crowds, gatherings, protests, or rallies. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. Mass transportation strikes could impact both public and private transit.”

Deokhyo Choi is an assistant professor of history at the University of Maryland who specializes in the history of modern Korea, Japan, and U.S.-East Asia relations. He told Newsweek that while there have been some large-scale demonstrations in the country, painting a “chaotic image” of the country, these are “peaceful protests” and “South Korean society currently maintains peace and order as usual.”

Eugene Park, a professor of history at the University of Nevada, Reno, told Newsweek: “South Korea’s vibrant, robust democracy is evident in the National Assembly’s swift repeal of President Yoon’s martial law and the public’s passionate yet peaceful, almost music concert-like protests demanding his resignation.”

However, Choi notes that “if an impeachment vote is not successful, political uncertainty will last longer and this might have a negative impact on tourism and the international perception of South Korea.”

Asked how long it would take to recover from any potential damage done as a result of the latest turmoil, Choi said that would depend on how quickly Yoon can be removed from office.

Choi noted that “because of the current political uncertainty, rumors are spreading—and some Korean news media reported—that President Yoon might attempt another declaration of martial law to cling to power.

“This does not help to attract foreign tourists and clean up shocking images of the political chaos,” such as images of military troops breaking into the National Assembly during the vote to overturn the martial law declaration, he added.

“If political uncertainty lasts longer, international society will lose confidence in South Korean democracy and political stability,” Choi warned.

‘A Misperception of Chaos’

Choi, however, believes South Korea doesn’t face any long-term impact from the current political turmoil. “Although multiple countries issued a travel alert because of the declaration of martial law, I do not think that the latest incident will have long-term effects on tourism and the popularity of Korean culture,” he said, noting that “the martial law declaration was immediately revoked and lifted, and people in Korea are just living a ‘normal’ life as usual.”

Park also noted that the global perception of South Korea hinges on the dramatic scenes portrayed in the media. “Despite South Korea’s position as one of the top ten nations in the global culture and political economy by most metrics, the general American public’s familiarity with the country remains limited,” Park said.

“Consequently, America’s perceptions of South Korea’s stability depend heavily on media coverage. Unfortunately, awareness of the swift lifting of martial law and the methodical democratic transition remains low—hence fueling a misperception of chaos or turmoil,” he added.

Park agrees that the latest political crisis “will not significantly affect South Korea’s tourism industry or cultural exports in the medium to long term.”

He explained “South Korea’s globally influential entertainment industry—anchored by K-pop, K-dramas, and cinema—began gaining international traction in the late 1990s, beginning in Japan before spreading to the rest of Eurasia and beyond, and remains resilient.”

Mietek Boduszyński, a former U.S. State Department diplomat who is an associate professor of politics at Pomona College, also told Newsweek that he doesn’t see any “negative consequences for visits to South Korea by tourists.”

According to the former U.S. diplomat, “there may have been some people who delayed their flights by a day or two, but the matter was quickly resolved and air travel was never affected.

“I suppose the larger point is that most people do not pay attention to South Korean politics as they do to Korean pop culture, which I also don’t see as being adversely affected by the events,” he added.

Squid Game, Parasite Directors and Others Call for President To Step Down

Despite political polarization, recent polls have shown that the majority (75 percent) of South Koreans were opposed to Yoon’s martial law declaration and around two-thirds “want him out,” Park said.

“Depending on whether Yoon resigns in the next few days or, probably more likely, is impeached this weekend by the National Assembly—if so, the constitutional court must review the impeachment, which can take about two months—South Korea will likely have a new president sometime between January and May,” Park concluded.

Calls for Yoon to step down have been ongoing over the past week or so, including among over 3,000 members of the Korean film industry who were reported to have signed a petition calling for Yoon’s impeachment. Oscar-winning Parasite director Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook, the winner of the Best Director award at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, as well as several major Korean actors, were among those who signed the petition.

This Monday at a press conference for the premiere of Squid Game Season 2 in Seoul, the show’s creator Hwang Dong-hyuk was among the latest to call for the president to step down.

Expressing how “deeply upsetting and infuriating” the current situation is, Hwang said “whether through impeachment or voluntary resignation, I sincerely hope that [the president] takes responsibility as soon as possible…” reported the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Newsweek has contacted the office of the South Korean Consulate General in New York and the Korean Tourism Organization for comment.