Jeju’s renewed push to allow Chinese tourists to drive rental cars on the South Korean resort island is reigniting a decade-old debate over safety, insurance and legal loopholes.
On July 2, the island’s Vice-Governor Park Cheon-su said allowing Chinese tourists to drive could boost visitor spending during a live-streamed meeting with senior provincial government officials.
“A large portion of independent foreign travellers are Chinese, but they cannot use rental cars at the moment,” Park said. “If necessary, we could consider providing several hours of driving training in a short period so they can drive, as part of easing regulations.”
Park’s remarks quickly triggered backlash online.
Many questioned who would be responsible in the event of accidents and whether Jeju’s already overtaxed road safety system could withstand an influx of foreign drivers inexperienced with South Korea’s traffic systems.
In response, the provincial government issued a statement on July 4 explaining that the idea was “not a reviewed or decided policy”.