Tour guides accuse South Korean departmental store of exploiting expatriates
The Korea Tourist Guide Association claims that Shinsegae Department Store in Seoul ‘allowed more illegal activity than any other duty free store operator’
By Park Jae-hyuk
About 100 tour guides held a rally in front of the main branch of Shinsegae Department Store in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, claiming Shinsegae Duty Free illegally sold tax-free goods to foreigners to distribute in black markets.
The Korea Tourist Guide Association said foreigners ― especially Chinese students ― buy large amounts of cosmetics from the duty free store and resell them in Dongdaemun Market, as well as the Sindorim/Daerim area in southwestern Seoul. The government-affiliated organisation said tourists who visit Korea have been unable to buy what they want, as a result.
“Duty free stores regard foreigners purchasing large amounts of goods as tour guides, and thus give them more incentives than qualified guides,” an official of the association said. “We decided to hold the rally here, because Shinsegae has allowed more illegal activity than any other duty free store operator.”
The association said it raised the issue at a meeting with seven duty free operators in May, but only Lotte Duty Free is addressing the problem, according to inspections done by the association.
The association said it will protest other companies as well, if they do not take appropriate measures.