Airbnb Rules Jeju Island: Regulations and Laws for Hosts

Jeju Island Airbnb Compliance Checklist

• ☐ Confirm Property Eligibility Under Tourism Promotion Act

  Verify the property qualifies as a legally permissible accommodation type under the Tourism Promotion Act and its subordinate regulations. Properties in conservation zones or areas designated off-limits by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province ordinance are not eligible, regardless of platform registration status.

• ☐ Register as a Tourism Accommodation Operator

  • Submit a facility registration application to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province tourism department.

  • Obtain the official tourism accommodation business registration certificate before accepting any bookings.

  • Retain the registration number; it must appear on all platform listings.

• ☐ Obtain Farmstay or Minbak Designation (If Applicable)

  Hosts operating under the Agricultural and Rural Promotion Act farmstay (nongchon minbak) framework must secure the separate rural tourism business designation from the relevant provincial authority before listing.

• ☐ Display Registration Number on All Listings

  Post the business registration number on every active listing across Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. Platforms operating under South Korea's reporting obligations are required to collect and verify this number; an absent or invalid number can result in listing removal.

• ☐ Install Mandatory Safety Equipment

  • Fire extinguishers in the required locations per facility type classification.

  • Smoke detectors in each sleeping room and common area.

  • Emergency evacuation instructions posted in Korean and English.

• ☐ Maintain the Guest Register

  Record each guest's name, nationality, and identification number at check-in. The Tourism Promotion Act requires operators to retain these records and make them available to provincial inspectors on request.

• ☐ Collect and Remit Tourism Promotion Development Fund Levy

  Apply the correct levy rate to each eligible booking and remit to the designated provincial account by the statutory deadline. Failure to remit constitutes a separate violation from any registration lapse.

• ☐ File VAT Returns Quarterly

  Register with the National Tax Service (NTS) if annual revenue meets the threshold, charge the standard 10% VAT on accommodation fees, and file returns each quarter. Hosts below the simplified taxation threshold must still register and report.

• ☐ Verify Zoning Compliance Annually

  Jeju province rezoning decisions have affected STR eligibility in several coastal and agricultural areas. Check the current zoning designation with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province land use office at least once per year, not only at initial registration.

• ☐ Renew the Tourism Accommodation Registration

  Confirm the renewal schedule with the provincial tourism department. Operating after a registration lapse, even by a single day, exposes the operator to administrative

1. Regulatory Overview

Short-term rental operations on Jeju Island fall under three concurrent compliance layers: national legislation administered by the central government, provincial ordinances issued by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and property-level restrictions set by building management rules or homeowner association bylaws.

All three apply simultaneously, and a registration that satisfies national requirements does not automatically satisfy provincial conditions.

The primary governing statute is the Tourism Promotion Act (관광진흥법), which classifies most short-term rental accommodations as a form of tourism business subject to mandatory registration. Alongside it, the Public Health Management Act (공중위생관리법) governs properties operating as "lodging businesses" (숙박업).

Jeju Province supplements these national frameworks through its own tourism business management ordinances, which impose additional registration procedures and inspection requirements specific to the island's designated tourism zones.

Under the Tourism Promotion Act, a short-term rental is generally defined as a furnished residential property rented to transient guests for fewer than 30 consecutive days. Properties rented for 30 days or more fall outside this definition and are treated as standard residential leases under the Housing Lease Protection Act (주택임대차보호법).

The enforcing authority for Airbnb regulation on Jeju Island is the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Tourism Bureau (제주특별자치도 관광국, JSPB), which processes registrations, conducts inspections, and issues penalties for non-compliant listings.

2. Airbnb License Requirements in Jeju Island

Urban Minbak Registration (Tourism Promotion Act)

Forget a simple city list for Jeju Island. The island doesn't operate a standalone municipal STR registry; instead, licensing is governed by complex national frameworks administered locally.

It's a two-headed beast, with the two primary regimes being the "Rural Homestay Business (농어촌민박업)" for countryside properties and the "Foreigner-only Urban Homestay Business" for those in designated urban areas.

The Tourism Promotion Act (관광진흥법), enforced nationally and administered locally from January 01, 2012, requires hosts renting to tourists to register as a minbak (farmhouse stay) or obtain a tourism accommodation business license.

Urban properties outside designated agricultural or village zones fall under this act.

• Who Must Register: Any host offering short-term rental accommodation to paying guests, regardless of platform used, including Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com.

• Application Body: Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Tourism Bureau.

• Required Documentation: Building registry certificate (건축물대장), land use certificate confirming permitted accommodation use, fire safety inspection report, and liability insurance certificate.

• Registration Fee: No fixed national fee is published; provincial processing fees vary but have historically ranged from approximately ₩30,000 to ₩50,000 (roughly $22–$37 USD at mid-2025 exchange rates).

Agricultural Minbak Registration (Rural Promotion Act)

Properties in rural or agricultural zones register under the Rural Tourism Promotion Act (농어촌정비법) effective January 01, 2002. This regime applies specifically to farming households and limits rentable floor area to 230 square meters per unit.

• Primary Residence Threshold: The host household must actively use the property as a primary residence. No fixed day-count threshold mirrors Western 183-day rules, but provincial inspectors assess genuine occupancy.

• Platform Obligations: Airbnb is required under the Korean Electronic Commerce Act provisions to verify host registration numbers before activating listings.

Operating without a valid registration number exposes hosts to fines under the Tourism Promotion Act of up to ₩3,000,000 (approximately $2,200 USD) per violation.

3. Property Rules, Zoning, and Building Restrictions Hosts Should Check First

Jeju Island does not maintain a formal prohibited buildings list analogous to New York City's Multiple Dwelling Law classifications.

Property eligibility under South Korea's Tourism Promotion Act (관광진흥법) and the Public Health Control Act (공중위생관리법) is determined by property type, zoning designation, and, where applicable, condominium association bylaws or building management rules.

Residential Properties

• Single-Family Homes (단독주택): Eligible for registration as a minbak (farmhouse or urban homestay) under the Public Health Control Act, provided the host meets occupancy and safety requirements set by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.

• Apartment Units (공동주택): Subject to condominium association rules. Many Jeju apartment complexes prohibit short-term rental use outright through building management agreements, regardless of provincial licensing status.

• Agricultural and Rural Land Zones: Short-term rental operations on land zoned for agricultural use require separate land-use approval from the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province land management authority before any STR license application proceeds.

Commercial and Tourism-designated Properties

Properties registered under the Tourism Promotion Act as tourist pensions (관광펜션) or tourist hotels operate under a separate licensing track administered by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Tourism Bureau.

Hosts operating under a tourism business license cannot simultaneously hold a minbak registration; the two frameworks are mutually exclusive under Article 3 of the Tourism Promotion Act.

Zoning verification must be completed through the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province's integrated land information system before submitting any registration application. Zoning status overrides all other eligibility criteria.

4. Operational Requirements and Restrictions

Host Presence

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province does not impose a statutory host-presence requirement for registered farmhouse stays (nongga minbak) or urban tourist lodging under the Tourism Promotion Act (관광진흥법).

Hosts are not legally required to remain on-site during guest occupancy. However, the operator of record must be reachable by phone at all times during a stay; the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) registration file must list a contact number that is answered within a reasonable period.

Guest Count Limits

Maximum occupancy is set at registration and tied directly to the approved floor area of the accommodation unit.

• Floor-area formula: Under the Public Health Control Act (공중위생관리법) and MCST lodging guidelines, the minimum habitable area per guest is 3.3 m² of guest-room floor space.

• Absolute cap: Farmhouse minbak registrations are capped at 7 rooms and 30 guests simultaneously, per Article 2 of the Agricultural and Fishing Villages Promotion Act (농어촌정비법) as amended effective January 1, 2020.

Exceeding the registered guest count is treated as an unlicensed lodging violation and carries fines up to ₩3,000,000 per incident under the same statute.

Minimum Stay Thresholds

No province-wide minimum night requirement applies to registered STR operators in Jeju. Individual condominium associations and resort-zone management bodies may impose minimums through their own bylaws; hosts must verify those independently at the property level.

Note (Bill 2204566): A draft amendment to the Tourism Promotion Act, under National Assembly review as of Q1 2026, would require a minimum two-night stay for all tourist lodging units within designated preservation zones in Jeju. No effective date has been confirmed.

5. Tax Obligations for Jeju Island Airbnb Hosts

South Korea does not operate a separate municipal or provincial STR tax layer for Jeju Island. All obligations flow through the national framework administered by the National Tax Service (NTS) under the Income Tax Act and the Value Added Tax Act.

National Tax Rates

Total Combined Tax Rate: 6.6%–49.5% on net rental income (VAT is a consumption tax, handled separately).

Platform Collection Requirements

Airbnb does not collect or remit Korean VAT on behalf of hosts operating under the Airbnb rules in the Jeju Island framework. VAT-registered hosts must issue tax invoices directly and file quarterly returns with the NTS; simplified taxpayers file once annually in January for the prior calendar year.

Tax Filing Requirements

Rental income must be declared in the annual complete Income Tax Return filed May 1–31 for the prior tax year. Failure to register as a VAT taxpayer when revenue exceeds ₩48,000,000 triggers a 20% unregistered business surcharge on unpaid VAT under Article 60 of the Value Added Tax Act.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province imposes no separate accommodation tax or tourism levy distinct from the national framework.

6. Safety and Building Code Requirements

Mandatory Safety Equipment

• Smoke Detectors: Required in every sleeping room and hallway under the Korean Fire Services Act (소방시설 설치 및 관리에 관한 법률), enforced by the National Fire Agency (NFA).

• Fire Extinguisher: At least one portable extinguisher per floor, accessible to guests at all times.

• Emergency Exit Signage: Illuminated exit signs are required in all STR units registered under the Tourism Promotion Act (관광진흥법).

• Carbon Monoxide Detector: Mandatory in units with gas appliances, per NFA residential safety guidelines.

Building Compliance

• Structural Certificate: The property must hold a valid building use permit (사용승인서) confirming residential classification.

• Electrical Safety: Wiring must meet standards set by the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation (KESCO).

• Ventilation: Adequate mechanical or natural ventilation is required in all sleeping areas under the Building Act (건축법).

7. Booking Platform Requirements

Verification Requirements

• Registration Number Display: Under the Tourism Promotion Act (관광진흥법) and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Ordinance on Tourism, platforms operating in South Korea must display a host's registered accommodation number on each listing. Airbnb complies by collecting this number during the listing setup process for Korean properties.

• Pre-Booking Verification: Platforms are not currently mandated by Jeju-specific statute to block transactions for unregistered listings. Enforcement falls on the host, not the platform, under current provincial rules.

Reporting Requirements

• Transaction Data Submission: South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has not enacted a quarterly platform-reporting mandate equivalent to those in New York or Paris. No Jeju-specific ordinance imposes periodic transaction reporting on Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com as of June 1, 2026.

• Penalty Exposure: No platform-level fines specific to Jeju are codified under the current Airbnb regulation Jeju Island frameworks.

(Section omitted: Jeju Island's short-term rental framework, including the Tourism Promotion Act and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Ordinance No. 2922, does not impose STR-specific advertising prohibitions. No statute makes it unlawful to advertise a short-term rental before a booking transaction.

General consumer protection rules under the Fair Labeling and Advertising Act apply to all commercial advertising but are not specific to short-term rental listings. Advertising compliance for Jeju hosts is governed solely by registration disclosure requirements addressed in Section 6.)

8. Penalties for Violating Airbnb Laws in Jeju Island

Civil Penalties

Under the Tourism Promotion Act and the Special Act on the Establishment of Jeju Free International City, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province enforces fines against unlicensed and non-compliant operators. Penalties are assessed per violation, not per booking.

• Operating without a tourism accommodation license: Up to KRW 3,000,000 (approximately USD 2,200) per violation under Tourism Promotion Act Article 86.

• Failure to report guest registration data: Up to KRW 1,000,000 per incident under the Immigration Act and related lodging reporting obligations.

• False or incomplete license application: License revocation plus fines up to KRW 2,000,000 under Tourism Promotion Act Article 35.

• Operating outside licensed capacity or property type: Administrative fine up to KRW 1,500,000 and potential suspension of operations.

Enforcement Mechanisms

The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Tourism Bureau conducts both reactive and proactive enforcement. Complaint-driven inspections remain the most common trigger, but platform monitoring has expanded since 2024.

• Platform verification: Provincial officials cross-reference active Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com listings against the official tourism accommodation registry.

• Complaint response: Neighbor or guest complaints routed through the provincial civil petition system prompt on-site inspection within 14 business days.

• Proactive monitoring: The Tourism Bureau conducts periodic sweeps of listing platforms, particularly during peak seasons (July-August and Lunar New Year).

• On-site inspections: Fire safety and capacity compliance checks are conducted by the Jeju Fire Safety Department in coordination with tourism officials.

Registration Denial and Revocation

The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Tourism Bureau holds the authority to deny or revoke tourism accommodation registration on the following grounds:

9. Special Considerations

Agricultural and Rural Land Zoning

Jeju Island's economy depends on agriculture, and the provincial government treats farmland conversion as a structural concern, not a minor permitting detail.

Properties on land classified as agricultural under the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Establishment and International Free City Development Special Act (Act No. 7849, effective February 21, 2006) face strict restrictions on commercial use.

Operating short-term rental activity on agricultural-zoned parcels without an approved land-use change constitutes an unauthorized use-of-purpose violation, carrying fines that begin at KRW 5,000,000 (approximately USD 3,700 as of June 2026) per incident under the Building Act enforcement provisions.

• Conversion Requirement: Agricultural land must receive formal reclassification from the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province before any commercial accommodation use is permitted.

• Farmhouse Exemptions: Traditional Jeju stone farmhouses ("doldam" structures) may qualify for heritage accommodation status, but this requires separate review under provincial cultural property guidelines; it does not automatically exempt the property from STR registration.

• Zoning Overlay Conflicts: Green-belt and conservation overlay zones covering portions of Hallasan National Park buffer areas prohibit new commercial development outright, regardless of the underlying property type.

Foreign-Owned Properties

Just because foreign nationals can buy property on Jeju through investment immigration doesn't mean they get automatic STR operating rights. There are no shortcuts.

Your property must meet the same registration and facility standards as any local's under the Tourism Promotion Act, right down to requiring a fire extinguisher and smoke detector in every registered unit. Platforms aren't required to verify ownership or nationality, so full compliance responsibility is on you.

10. Exemptions

Not all short-term accommodations in Jeju fall under the Farmstay Act or Tourism Promotion Act registration requirements; several property and tenancy types operate under separate legal regimes or fall outside STR rules entirely.

• Stays of 30 consecutive days or more: These are treated as standard residential tenancies under the Housing Lease Protection Act and are not subject to STR licensing or reporting obligations.

• Licensed hotels and resort hotels: Properties registered under the Tourism Promotion Act as tourist hotels operate under a separate classification and are not bound by Airbnb-specific hosting restrictions.

• Designated pension (펜션) operators: Facilities holding a valid pension business registration under the Agricultural and Rural Areas Promotion Act are governed by that statute, not the general STR framework.

11. Legislative Developments

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has not introduced any pending bills specifically targeting short-term rental platform registration or Airbnb rules, as of June 2026.

The most recent enacted change affecting STR operations was the Tourism Promotion Act amendment of December 2023, which tightened the foreign house leasing permit framework under Article 20 of the Jeju Special Act.

No draft ordinances proposing new nightly caps, platform liability provisions, or host quota systems have been tabled in the Jeju Provincial Council as of the last confirmed legislative session in March 2026.

Hosts should monitor the Jeju Provincial Government portal for updates, as the province retains independent legislative authority under the Jeju Special Act and can enact STR-specific ordinances without requiring National Assembly approval.

The National Tourism Promotion Act remains the controlling framework until any provincial amendment supersedes it.

12. Resources and Contact Information

Government Agencies

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Tourism Bureau

• Address: 6 Munyeon-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province 63122, South Korea

• Phone: +82-64-710-3312

• Website: jeju.go.kr

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Tourism Accommodation Division

• Phone: +82-2-729-9600

• Website: kto.visitkorea.or.kr

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST)

• Phone: +82-44-203-2000

• Website: mcst.go.kr

Filing Complaints

Suspected illegal short-term rental operations in Jeju can be reported directly to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Tourism Bureau by phone at +82-64-710-3312.

The national consumer and business complaint portal, the Government 24 platform at gov.kr, accepts formal complaints against unregistered accommodation providers. Local district offices (eup/myeon/dong offices) also accept in-person reports for zoning violations tied to unlicensed lodging operations

Disclaimer

This information is provided for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. Short-term rental regulations in Jeju Island are complex and subject to change. Hosts should consult with qualified legal counsel and tax professionals to ensure full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

The enforcement space continues to evolve, and hosts are responsible for staying informed of current requirements.