LIFE IN KOREA: No Discount for Foreign Seniors

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As of May 2010, the 65+ (65 y-o-a and over) discount on entry to cultural heritage sites in Korea (palaces, tombs, etc) is no longer being given to ‘foreigners’ – residents and tourists  alike.  Although the admissions fees pages for the different sites on  the Cultural Heritage Administrations’ website ((문화재청)  do not reflect this new policy, foreign residents who have recently requested the senior’s discount/free entry entitlement (because they were over 65) have been denied it.  (http://www.cha.go.kr/)

I’m not sure what has motivated this change in policy, but it may be that whoever is responsible forgot that foreign residents pay taxes here. Most long-term foreign residents are taxed the same as Korean citizens and therefore, should be entitled to the same benefits.  In fact, we are, when it comes to pensions, VAT refunds, etc.

I can’t help but wonder also if ethnic Korea seniors with foreign passports are being denied the free or discounted entry. I’ve never see anyone asked to produce proof-of-age at any of the cultural sites I’ve visited (do let me know if you have) and so I’m also assuming that ethnic Korean seniors with foreign passports may still be allowed to take advantage of the 65+ discount.

Was this decision taken as a cost-saving measure? Given that the entry to the cultural heritage sites (when not free for everyone) is usually in the W1,000 to W3,000 range and there are not thousands of elderly foreign residents in Korea, the savings can, at best, be minimal.

If the target is the elderly tourists who are expected to visit during Korean Years 2010 through 2012, again I doubt that having them pay entry to the palaces and tombs they may visit will inflate the CHA’s coffers to any great extent.  And are the negative reactions (especially as the CHA website still reflects the previous equal-treatment-regardless -of-nationality policy) to what many will interpret as a discriminatory, maybe even xenophobic, policy worth the minuscule financial gain?

If the answer is yes, so be it as far as senior tourists are concerned (although it is ironic that such a policy has been implemented at the beginning of the Visit Korea tourism promotion period). However, there is no justification, in my view, to deny long term residents the same benefits as other taxpayers in Korea.

“It’s not a matter of the W1000 entry fee to Deoksugun but rather the principle. I’ve paid taxes for many decades in Korea and don’t understand why I’m suddenly denied something that was previously available to all seniors.” This long-time resident and others are asking themselves why this is happening now and worries that it could have a negative impact on Seoul’s global image.
Moreover, one has to feel for the palace and tomb staff who now has to say to people, including those who have previously received discounts, “No discount for foreigners.”

I’m wondering also if this is, in fact, a Cultural Heritage Administration policy or if it is being applied elsewhere. Do let us know via a comment below or by writing to info@korea4expats.com if you know of other such policies. In the interim, I’ve sent a ‘petition’ about this issue to www.epeople.go.kr, a people’s online petition and discussion portal with options in various languages, including English. Will let you know when I get a response. Feel free to do the same, on this or other issues.

8 comments | Add your comment

Allison, 2011-01-07 10:10:53

I'm not an older person but this is an interesting thought to bring up because of the fact it was done without any notice in English. I also would like to point out that some tourist locations in Korea are better than others for how they treat foreigners. For example, the National Museum of Korea's security personnel can be very rude to foreign visitors. But who would ever listen to complaints from a foreigner? Who would we contact? It does make you wonder if they really value foreign tourists.

majuang, 2011-01-12 17:14:28

My American (Caucasian) parents around age 70 visited Korea in 2007 and when we went to the major palaces and other sites in Seoul they were told they could NOT get a senior discount. That was back in 2007, so I don't think this is a "new" policy in the sense that the no-discounts-for-foreign seniors has been in practice (even if not written in the law) for some time.

Wilborn, 2011-01-22 14:59:52

Another place where the aged Koreans get a discount and foreign aged people don't is on the subway and on the train. Koreans 65 and older get free tickets on the subway and 1/2 price on the trains.
"take it up with your Embassy" I've been told. However, I do get the discount at the movies and am grateful that I do and go often because of it.

John, 2011-01-29 11:20:12

@allison
I know what you mean about the National Museum security people. My wie and I went to Gyeongju (shilla kingdom capital) in early January. Our last day there we visited the Nationa History Museum there. They had a special display of Shilla artifacts.

While walking through the museum I saw a display of a gold king's crown. When I walked over several Koreans were taking pictures (with and without flash). There was a security guard watching them do this and saying nothing, just leaning against the wall and watching. I walked up and took a picture too. The security guard was all over me shouting at me in Korean not to take pictures and demanding that I erase this picture. In Korean I pointed out that he had not said anything to any of the Koreans taking pictures and refused. I told him to go away leave me alone until he said something to the Koreans as well.

About 5 minutes later this guard found me in another section and had the security director with him. They again demanded I erase any photos. When I again refused they threatened to call the police. I hate racism in all forms and any situation. So I pulled out my cell phone, offered it to him, and said "call them, while we wait I'll call my lawyer". They got angry but within a minute disappeared and I was not bothered again.

What I don't understand is why this seems so wide spread in Korea. You can have Koreans standing next to you doing the exact same thing (e.g. smoking) and someo

Jeff, 2011-02-13 07:03:02

The security at the National Museum harrass foreigners about everything while they let Korean children run through exhibits screaming and yelling. I know they bothered me about taking pictures and I didn't even have a camera with me.

Joserra, 2011-02-16 14:46:43

Perhaps in Jeollanam-do, at the Nagan Folk Village, things are different. I am not a senior citizen but a local resident and every time I to there I just show them my ID that states that I live in Suncheon and they give me the discount for local residents (which is about 2,000 Won). I have not been there in a few months but they seem to not care if I am a foreigner or not at this location. I guess like everything else in Korea, Seoul starts a trend and the rest follow but I hope Jeollanam-do does not encourage this type of discrimination. You are right, I am a long time resident and have paid millions of won in taxes throughout the years.

RationalPrimate, 2011-03-07 13:22:22

I have only been in Korea for 18 months, but intend to make a long term investment in being here. I have encountered racism in many contexts here, some more subtle than others, and have typically been able to dismiss these encounters as personal bias or individual bigotry.

The fact that the policy on the website says nothing about this trend makes me wonder if it's something that's more popular than legal, and the fact that it varies from location to location makes me even more curious what formal statement the CHA would issue on this matter. I'll call them ASAP and tell them that I'll be writing an article for an online tourism periodical and newspaper that reaches hundreds of thousands of readers monthly, and try to get exact quotes from someone "higher up" regarding these instances... Discrimination is unavoidable, but govt sanctioned discrimination is cause for action and investigation.

korea4expats, 2011-03-17 12:34:37

Would be interested in hearing what you find out when you contact them. We wrote to www.epeople.go.kr around the same time we posted the article, but have yet to hear back. You can post the information you receive in this section or write us at events@korea4expats.com. Thank you for your comments.

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