The 1330 Tourism Complaint Center, operated by the Korea Tourism Organization, has transformed from a platform for addressing complaints about unkindness and unfair charges during trips to South Korea into a repository of warm stories and praise from foreign tourists. In the first half of this year, the center received a total of 34 positive feedback and gratitude cases from international visitors. This evolution indicates a shift from merely resolving negative experiences to encouraging the sharing of positive encounters during their travels in Korea.
◆ Coast Guard Rescues Tourists from Rough Waves, Receives Thank You Letter
On June 23, around 3 p.m., an American tourist, while playing in the water with her daughters at Naksan Beach in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, was swept away by strong waves. A bystander jumped into the sea to help but became stranded as well, worsening the situation.
Responding promptly to the report, the Naksan Coast Guard dispatched rescue personnel equipped with rescue tubes and other gear. Thanks to their swift action, both the foreign tourist's family and the citizen who attempted the rescue were safely brought back to shore.
The American tourist later emailed the center, expressing her gratitude, saying, "I apologize for not knowing their names, but I want to extend my highest praise and thanks to the police officers and paramedics who risked their lives to jump into the sea." She also expressed remorse for putting others in danger due to her own carelessness.
◆ Multilingual Support and Emergency Response Infrastructure
This incident was officially reported through the 1330 center's multilingual support system. The center currently operates year-round in eight languages, including Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian.
While the 1330 center has focused on providing travel information and overcoming language barriers, it has recently enhanced its role as a comprehensive control tower for responding to unexpected incidents and emergencies during travel.
This year, the center has also received various heartwarming stories, including one about a Chinese tourist who needed to visit the emergency room due to sudden abdominal pain and was escorted to the hospital with the help of a local citizen who provided translation assistance. Another case involved a driver who returned an expensive smartphone left in a taxi, demonstrating the kindness of locals across different regions.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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