Tourists accused of public defecation at South Korea's Hallasan National Park spark outrage

South Korea's Hallasan National Park has become the latest site of tourist behavior controversy after a local hiker reported witnessing what appeared to be Chinese tourists allowing a child to defecate on a hiking trail.

According to Chosun Ilbo, the hiker posted photos and a complaint on the park's official website titled "How to deal with Chinese people defecating freely and making loud noise at Hallasan?"

The report described a woman, believed to be Chinese, directing a child aged approximately six or seven to defecate beside a flower bed along the trail between Baengnokdam and Jindalle Rest Area on September 30. The hiker said the woman cleaned the child but left the waste behind before departing.

The incident has sparked online criticism in South Korea, with many calling for stricter enforcement of park regulations and better tourist education. This marks at least the fourth recent case reported in Korean media involving similar public defecation incidents, all allegedly involving Chinese tourists.

Previous incidents include tourists having children defecate at Jeju's Yongmeori Coast in October, discarding used tissues into the sea, and a couple allegedly defecating in bushes near Gyeongbokgung Palace's entrance in Seoul earlier this month.

The growing number of cases has prompted calls for enhanced signage and management of foreign tourists in national parks and cultural sites, with authorities urged to address behavior that damages the environment and offends local sensibilities.