Hanok (traditional house) in Anak-myeon township of Hadong-gun County, Gyeongsangnam-do Province (Korea.net DB)

By Lee Jihae

Urban homestays and Hanok (traditional architecture) experiential lodging facilities must be covered by disaster liability insurance.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Aug. 3 said an amendment to relevant regulations it is pursuing includes these two types of accommodations, which have seen a surge in foreign visitors, among businesses requiring such insurance.

Disaster liability insurance is legally required to provide compensation for damages caused by fire, explosion, building collapse and similar contingencies.

Twenty business types require such insurance like restaurants and lodging facilities. Coverage for personal injury is up to KRW 150 million per person and KRW 1 billion per accident for property damage.

Under this revision, about 9,800 urban homestay and 2,300 Hanok businesses must pay for coverage.

jihlee08@korea.kr