Criticism Over Vietnamese Tourist’s Yoga Photos at Seoul’s Gyeongbok Palace.

Seoul: South Korean netizens and intellectuals are reacting negatively to photos of a Vietnamese female tourist practicing yoga in tight leggings at a historic royal palace in the center of Seoul. The incident arose earlier this week when the woman shared photos on social media showing herself in a handstand yoga pose in front of Gyeongbok Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), during her recent visit to South Korea.According to Yonhap News Agency, a Vietnamese newspaper, the controversial photos have triggered criticism from many social media users in both countries. The report states that the woman defended herself, saying she was not cautioned by the palace's security staff. Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor of Seoul's Sungshin Women's University known for promoting Korean interests abroad, expressed concerns about potential damage to the nation's cultural properties. He remarked on his social media that both Vietnamese media and South Korean netizens criticized her behavior at the hi storical site.Professor Seo further commented that while individuals are free to practice yoga anywhere, doing so against the wall of cultural assets in another country is inappropriate. He urged Gyeongbok Palace officials to prevent similar incidents in the future. Many netizens echoed Seo's sentiments, denouncing the act as "rude and offensive." A reader from Yonhap News called the yoga pose in front of the palace an insult to the Korean people, while another questioned why she chose such a significant location when there are numerous other places to exercise.Meanwhile, the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, affiliated with the Korea Heritage Service, announced there is no legal basis to punish or stop the Vietnamese woman since the location where she practiced yoga is not within the grounds of Gyeongbok Palace. The center clarified that she could have been expelled if the photos were taken inside the palace in violation of tour regulations. Nevertheless, the center plans to prepare countermeasures for any similar future incidents outside the palace."We'll take action if we discover any behavior that is not appropriate for the palace's image," the center stated. They also mentioned notifying the police if any physical impact, other than simple physical contact, is applied to the palace wall.