Local community reactions to foreign language signage in tourist destinations through the lens of place attachment: the case study of Seochon, South Korea

With changes in the linguistic landscape (LL), foreign language signage (FLS) has been increasing in tourist destinations around the world. This study aims to explore how local residents respond to this shift, using place attachment (PA) as a theoretical framework. By applying Q methodology to 30 residents of Seochon, a neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea, the study identified four distinct clusters: the guardians of local identity, the culturally tolerant cosmopolitans, the ambivalent pragmatists, and the defenders of residential value. These findings present residents’ multifaceted perspectives on the growing presence of FLS and offer important theoretical and practical implications for managing the LL in tourist destinations.