Korea is a great country to visit because of its beautiful culture, food, and places. But certain illegal things in Korea may not make much sense to a foreigner, especially if you are not from an Asian country.
So here are a bunch of things that you donโt want to get caught doing while in Korea:
Gambling
Do not get confused by the ads of casinos starring Lee Min Ho and Kim Soo Hyun, gambling is illegal for the citizens of the country. However, if you are a foreigner then it is completely fine for you to gamble.
Casino owners run big campaigns for casinos so that it attracts foreigners more and more.
Tattoo Making
The art of tattooing isnโt illegal itself and you can get a tattoo as long as the tattoo artist is a licensed medical doctor. But there is a lack of law enforcement for non-medically trained tattoo artists, so they are growing in number.
Fun fact: if you have a tattoo then you may not be able to enter some bathhouses and people donโt appreciate you exposing your tattoos in public either.
Public Spitting
This one may even shock some of the citizens, but one of the illegal things in Korea includes public spitting. If you are caught doing it in public, you will get a fine for it.
Gaming Online
If you are under 16 then online gaming is banned for you after 12 am till 6 am. During these hours all the major servers for online gaming have a restriction, this law is also called as โThe Shutdown Law.โ
Since in Korea you are required to log in with your government ID number, there is no straight way around this law.
Long Teaching Hours
The culture of after school program is common in Korea since almost forever. These programs supplement and even replace regular schooling sometimes. This has increased the number of graduations per year in the country, but the same program may also push students under extreme pressure. It keeps every student under stress, and many students committed suicide because of it.
So to stop this, late-night teaching prohibits after school programs to remain open after 10 pm.
A great show โSky Castleโ was made on a similar topic. It showed how negative competition among students and their parentโs obsession with success ruin their futures and families.
Marijuana
It is one of the most frowned upon illegal things in Korea. Canada and other countries have legalized the usage of marijuana; however, in Korea it is not only illegal but also highly unacceptable to smoke it.
The society is not very tolerant when it comes to this, and they donโt even leave their beloved idols when they are caught doing it. Top and G-dragon of Big Bang, one of the biggest sensations, had to face serious repercussions after the police found out about their marijuana smoking. Apart from facing legal allegations, they also faced severe criticism from the netizens.
The country allows the usage for medical purposes, but other than that if a citizen gets caught purchasing, transporting, or possessing marijuana within the country or outside of it, they will face legal actions.
Street Vendors
Since 2011, street stalls became illegal, because according to some politicians, these vendors are the reason why the countryโs GDP lose up to 24%. However, not every vendor is the breaker of the law.
The next time you enjoy delicious rice cakes from one of these stalls operated by a nice old lady, remember this law which makes them lawbreakers.
Have you tried these five tasty Korean dishes?
Smoking Wherever you Want
Smoking isnโt completely illegal but not many places entertain smokers. Public places like shops, some tourist areas, place around the subway station, etc. There are, however, places available to smoke almost everywhere. It is because a lot of people smoke in Korea, and even though it is a common practice, you canโt smoke in a place where it isnโt allowed.
Anyone who smokes anywhere that isnโt the designated spot for smoking, there is a fine for that. These spots are present to avoid any disturbance due to smokers in the crowd.
Pornography
One of the illegal things in Korea includes making, distributing, and consuming pornographic content. The law came in effect to reduce sexual crimes, and even though censorship is not as strict these days, the sites that are deemed too lewd remain blocked. Read more about censorship in Korea here.
Bonus Part!
Did you know that dog meat is not completely illegal in Korea? Even though there is a law that states that no dog should be killed for its meat, there are restaurants that serve their meat. Many wildlife activists and the youth of today are strongly against its consumption, and want this practice to get banned.
So which one of these illegal things in Korea you didnโt know about that surprised you the most?
