District targets Bukchon Zone 1, the most hanok-dense area, with a district unit plan overhaul to regulate hanok experience businesses
Number of hanok experience businesses in Bukchon has surged from 47 in 2020 to 168 today, prompting a push for stronger residential protections
Jongno-gu is pushing to revise the Bukchon district unit plan to ease residents' complaints and protect their living environment amid a rapid increase in hanok experience businesses in the area.
The number of hanok experience businesses — short-stay tourism operations run out of traditional Korean houses — in Bukchon's hanok-dense neighborhoods has surged from 47 in 2020 to 168 today. As the businesses have spread into residential alleyways, the boundary between living space and tourism space has blurred, and residents have reported ongoing disruptions including nighttime noise and privacy violations.
In response, the district is reviewing management measures for hanok experience businesses in Bukchon Zone 1, centered on the Gahoe-dong 31 and 11 blocks — the most densely concentrated hanok area in Bukchon. Officials are also examining options to restrict new registrations by adjusting permitted land uses under the district unit plan.
Under the current Bukchon district unit plan, hanok experience businesses are allowed within the zone as long as the buildings retain their traditional hanok form.
The district plans to gather resident input, consult relevant departments and seek expert advice in June before finalizing the details. The proposal will then go through review and a formal decision by the district's joint urban and architecture committee.
The move is part of a broader policy effort to make Bukchon a sustainable neighborhood where residents and tourists can coexist. In July 2024, Jongno-gu designated Bukchon's hanok-dense area a special management zone to protect residents' living environment.
The zone is divided into red, yellow and orange alert areas based on the severity of resident complaints. In the red zone, tourist visits are restricted to between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The district is also rolling out phased measures to reduce disruptions, including restrictions on charter bus traffic along Bukchon-ro.
"We will make sure to gather sufficient resident input so that Bukchon's historical and cultural value can coexist with residents' quality of life," a Jongno-gu official said. "We will build a management system where tourism and everyday life can thrive side by side."
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