An alleyway of Gahoe-dong in central Seoul's Bukchon Hanok Village is crowded with domestic and international visitors, Aug. 21, 2023. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok

Seoul's historic Bukchon Hanok Village will restrict tourist visits starting next month to resolve overtourism, Jongno District Office announced Wednesday.

The curfew will limit tourist access to the most popular and densely populated areas of the village along Bukchon-ro 11-gil, dubbed the red zone, from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m.

Those who violate the regulation will be fined up to 100,000 won ($72) after March when the district office will end the trial phase and officially launch the policy. Residents, business owners and guests at hanok stays will be exempted from the curfew.

Bukchon-ro 5-ga-gil and Gye-dong-gil, which feature residential hanok, coffee shops and restaurants, are designated as orange zones and the district office plans to assign employees to monitor and guide tourists rather than setting a curfew.

Bukchon-ro 12-gil is set as a yellow zone, which the district office also plans to monitor.

Chartered buses with tour groups will be restricted from entering the 1.5-kilometer section of Bukchon-ro from Anguk Station on Seoul Metro Line 3 to the entrance of Samcheong Park.

After a trial run period starting next July, the local government plans to block chartered buses permanently in January 2026.

Located in the serene northern part of the downtown core, Bukchon Hanok Village is a traditional residential area dating back to the 1392-1897 Joseon Dynasty.

Its narrow alleyways filled with traditional hanok houses with signature wood columns and tiled roofs draw scores of domestic and international visitors, who often come dressed in Korean traditional costumes.

However, as the area has grown popular among tourists, residents face overtourism issues, such as excessive noise, littering and invasion of privacy, day and night.

Some tourists have even been caught trying to enter private homes or peeking without permission, according to locals.

A signboard hangs along an alleyway in Bukchon Hanok Village to guide visitors in Seoul, Aug. 21, 2023. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok

As a result, many have chosen to leave, leading to a 27.6 percent drop in the village's population over the past five years, according to the district office. The number of complaints filed to the district office also jumped from 56 to 202 during the same period.

Last year, the village attracted approximately 6.4 million visitors, which is over 1,000 times the number of residents in the area amounting to around 6,100.

The district office has stationed officials who speak several languages around the village to guide international visitors and inform them about the curfew.

To further inform foreign visitors about the new policy, the district office sent letters to over 200 tourism-related organizations and agencies, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Tourism Organization and the Seoul Tourism Organization.

The district office is also considering allotting the collected fines for the neighborhood's development.

Busan's Saha District Office has taken similar measures to preserve and develop Gamcheon Culture Village. Up to 30 percent of the profits made in the restaurants and souvenir shops in the area are shared with local residents.