Have you ever been walking along the fortress wall path and seen a sign on an alley wall that said, "People live here"? You may be taken aback if you came thinking it was a tourist spot and were asked to keep quiet. ## Same Alley, Two People's Afternoons A foreign friend went to take photos in the village next to the fortress wall. Seeing the pretty alleys and old houses, they thought, "This is today's must-see spot!" and walked along happily. At that same time, the grandmother who lives in that alley was just about to take an afternoon nap. The sound of laughing and chatting kept drifting in from in front of her gate. My friend was only sightseeing, and the grandmother was only at home. Neither of them did anything wrong. ## Why Was a Notice Put Up? This neighborhood has been a residential area where people have lived for a long time. The alleys are narrow and the houses are packed tightly together, so any sound made in the alley carries straight into the rooms. Hanok walls and doors tend to be thin, so it's even more true here. But after the area became known as a photo spot, the number of tourists suddenly shot up. Residents kept filing noise complaints with the district office, and that's why notices started going up. These notices mean something closer to "Please remember this is right in front of our homes" than "Don't come." ## Here's what to do when you stroll Please speak softly in the alleys. Don't take photos of the inside of open gates or windows. Visiting hours and precautions differ from neighborhood to neighborhood and may change, so check with the local district office or tourist information center before you go. That way, both the people out for a walk and the people who live there can enjoy a peaceful autumn afternoon.