Foreign tourists traveling in South Korea were found to suffer the most inconvenience when confronted with rude shop owners.
 
According to the Korea Tourism Organization’s Tourist Complaint Center on Wednesday, the number of cases reported about discomfort by foreign tourists stood at 888 last year, up from 881 in 2013.
 
Nearly 36 percent, or 317 cases, were related to shopping, including unfriendly shop owners.
 
The center found that some foreign tourists were unable to exchange faulty products or get refunds.
 
The center said 128 cases related to taxis were reported, including cases in which taxi drivers overcharged tourists or refused to use the meter. Eighty-four cases reported had to do with accommodations, including fees charged for cancelling reservations.
 
An official of the tourism agency said it looks into the cases when reports are filed, and has the individuals or shops who are subject to the complaint provide compensation or pay fines when found to have caused discomfort to foreign tourists.
 
Foreign tourists can report inconveniences to the tour authority by calling the four digits 1330, or sending an email to tourcom@knto.or.kr. The Korea Tourism Organization also runs an online complaint center on its Web site in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese.