Within a span of just 72 hours, from August 22 to 24, police in Jeju discovered the bodies of four missing people at four separate locations.
On Chinese social media, some travelers who had once seen Jeju as an ideal holiday destination, easily accessible thanks to its visa-free entry policy, began saying, “It’s better not to go to Jeju right now.”
Speculation quickly spread online. Was there a serial killer on the island? Were more bodies still hidden in its secluded corners? Could there be a complex organized criminal network, or even an international human trafficking ring operating behind the scenes?
For some people, Jeju has now come to be seen as a dangerous island isolated from mainland South Korea. Korean internet users who describe themselves as suffering from “Jeju phobia” have portrayed the island as a breeding ground for criminals, thugs and robbers.
According to 2024 data, Jeju recorded around 4,500 reported crimes per 100,000 residents, the highest crime rate in South Korea.
Located far from the Korean mainland, Jeju has long been a major draw for international tourists and a key source of tourism revenue for South Korea. But like many popular destinations, the island’s economic importance comes with a downside: whenever something goes wrong, it often bears the brunt of domestic criticism.
The “Jeju phobia” is likely to linger for a while before eventually fading into the background, only to resurface with the next cycle of public anxiety and social media frenzy.
