An artificial intelligence-generated image of a Chinese man attempting to lease a car using a Chinese-issued driver's licence. (ChatGPT) Comments by a senior Jeju official suggesting that Chinese tourists could be allowed to rent cars after mandatory driving lessons have sparked public backlash, prompting the island government to clarify that it has no plan to ease current rules.The remarks were made Thursday during the first executive policy meeting of the new island administration, following the inauguration of Gov. Wi Seong-gon after his victory in the June 3 local elections. Officials were discussing ways to increase tourism spending.“We could consider easing the regulations by requiring several hours of mandatory driving instruction for Chinese visitors if necessary,” said Park Cheon-su, Jeju’s administrative vice governor.“More than 90 percent of visitors travel independently, and many of them are Chinese tourists, yet they are unable to rent cars,” he said.The comments quickly drew criticism from residents, many of whom raised concerns that allowing short-term visitors to drive rental cars could worsen road safety on the island.The Jeju government issued a statement Saturday saying there had been no preliminary discussions or working-level review on allowing Chinese tourists to rent cars.“Allowing foreign visitors to drive on a short-term basis would require discussions with the central government as well as revisions to relevant laws, so Jeju cannot decide the matter unilaterally,” the island government said.Chinese tourists are currently unable to rent cars in Korea because China is not a party to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. As a result, Chinese driver’s licenses are not recognized under Korea’s international driving permit system.The issue has been raised repeatedly by Jeju’s tourism industry as more Chinese tourists travel independently than in tour groups. Supporters say allowing them to drive could help spread tourism spending beyond major attractions and bus routes.But the proposal has long faced resistance in Jeju, where residents have complained about traffic risks linked to rental cars.Jeju first floated the idea in 2014. It resurfaced in 2024 when South Korea and China discussed the possibility of mutually recognizing each other’s driver’s licenses, but the proposal again failed to move forward.The latest remarks revived concerns over how accidents involving foreign drivers would be handled and whether short-term visitors would be familiar enough with Korea’s traffic rules.Rental car accidents on Jeju rose from 412 in 2023 to 447 last year, accounting for 11.4 percent of all traffic accidents on the island. Jeju is the only province in South Korea where rental cars account for more than 10 percent of traffic accidents.The debate has also drawn attention to younger drivers, who make up a large share of rental car accidents on the island. Drivers in their 20s accounted for 23.6 percent of rental car accidents last year, the largest share among age groups.“We will do our utmost to ensure residents have no reason to worry,” the island government said. “We will continue improving multilingual transportation guidance and payment systems to better accommodate foreign visitors.” A park in Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, on Jeju Island, Wednesday (Yonhap)