Mobile tourist information service helps foreign visitors explore capital city


Two people in red jackets pace one of the most bustling spots in downtown Seoul. They greet frustrated tourists who can’t find their destinations after studying maps and travel guidebooks.

As the guides in red show them the right direction, the tourists breathe a sigh of relief and hit the road.

Exciting as exploring foreign cities can be, getting lost is not much fun.

But in Seoul, street guides dressed in red assist tourists in exploring the capital city without fear of getting lost.

“The service is very helpful. I can’t read Korean words, but they can point directions on the Seoul map written in Japanese. We definitely depend on them,” said Saiko Muramatsu from Japan who was travelling alone in Myeongdong.

The Mobile Tourist Information Service, which kicked off with seven guides in Myeongdong in 2009, has expanded to 72 guides, who are deployed in eight of the most frequently visited places in Seoul ― Myeongdong, Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, Sinchon, Itaewon, Bukchon, Gwanghwamun and Insa-dong.

The guides speak the three languages most spoken by foreign tourists in Seoul ― Japanese, Chinese and English.

In the last four years, 1.7 million tourists have used the service, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

As the number of tourists continues to increase, the number of users of the service jumped from 170,000 in 2009 to 958,994 in 2011.

The guides usually stand near crossroads in a crowded area or pace tourist attractions.

“When tourists get lost, they tend to swarm to an open area such as crossroads,” said Kim Hyun-sook, the Myeongdong team leader.

They help 300-400 tourists at the crossroads in front of the Myeongdong Art Center, one of the most thronged spots in the area.

Most of them ask the street guides about directions to cosmetics shops and other shopping places, restaurants or duty free shops.

Japanese tourists generally inquire about the way to a specific place in their guide books, while Chinese tourists more often ask them to recommend places to eat or shop.

“We are not allowed to recommend certain restaurants. We work for the Seoul Metropolitan Government. We don’t say no to their requests. Instead of specific eateries, we recommend those streets where tourist restaurants are clustered,” said Chang Hye-yoon, a guide for Japanese tourists.

The foremost thing for the guides to keep in mind is not to answer negatively, even when tourists make a request beyond the guides’ ability. Rather, they let them know of what they can do.

Guides sometimes even have to deal with emergency situations.

“In some cases, we escort sick tourists to drug stores or get them prescription drugs from clinics,” said Kim Kwui-jin, a Chinese language interpreter who is fluent in Japanese and English as well.

They also help straggling tourists find their groups.

Chang Young-sook, Insa-dong team leader, received an honorary citizen’s award from the Seoul mayor for helping an elderly tourist wandering about the streets to find his group.

A Japanese tourist was taken to a nearby hospital by guides when she slipped on ice.

“What’s special about the mobile tourist information service is that we can help tourists on the spot, making it unnecessary for them to come to information centers. We offer them our helping hands before they ask for our help,” said Myeongdong team leader Kim.

“The reason we always say ‘tourist information’ aloud is to let tourists know we are always there to help them,” Kim added.

The service has become a Seoul institution, largely thanks to overseas publicity by the Japanese network NHK and the Asahi Shinbum newspaper. After their reports, the Seoul guides came to pass by the name “red jumper” among Japanese tourists.

An American tourist stopped to tell her friend, a first time visitor to Seoul, about the street guide service.

“I’ve seen them on a television program about Korea. I just told my friend they’re like guides on the street,” said Texan Esmeralda Fuerte on a visit to Korea because her husband works here.

They said they haven’t seen such a service in other countries.

“It’s nice to have someone on the street helping tourists find directions. I’ve never seen this kind of service in other countries,” she said to her husband.

The street guides are the first to know about the problems tourists have in Seoul.

They report inconveniences to city officials once a month to make the city a better place for tourists.

“We receive policy suggestions from them once a week and other useful information on the characteristics of foreign tourists by nationality or new tourism trends,” said Song Yu-jin, in charge of the mobile tourist information service at the city government.

Kim said one of their suggestions ― setting up crosswalks at the busiest Euljiro 1-ga intersection ― was realized, also reflecting requests from other civic groups and citizens.

Still, there is much to improve for tourists ― the use of public transportation cards, the bus system and designating densely populated areas as non-smoking zones, Kim said.

“What still holds back the growth of tourism is the lack of language assistance. As there’s not enough language assistance in the public bus system and when using transportation cards ― tourists avoid using them.

“Smoking is another problem. Sometimes tourists ask us if they may smoke on the street, but it’s hard to say yes, because of the possible negative effect it will have on other tourists and citizens. We rather guide them to designated outdoor smoking areas or coffee shops with smoking rooms,” said Kim.

“I don’t know why the city government bans smoking at Gwanghwamun Plaza when we all think the much crowded Myeongdong should be first designated as a non-smoking zone.”

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)