Few years ago a Chinese woman lost her 74-year-old grandfather when they were in Korea and touring the Dongdaemun area in Seoul. He was not able to board the tour bus after Dongdaemun shopping. The problem got compounded as he had no money plus he did know the local language. Listening to her plea, around 6 employees from the Dongdaemun Tourist Information Center set out to help and locate her missing grandfather. They made every effort to locate him – reported the police, checked the CCTV footage of the nearby malls till they finally tracked him down near the Dongdaemun Culture and History Park. They managed to successfully reunite the Chinese woman with her missing grandfather after 24 hours, 10 minutes.

This incident prompted the Seoul Metropolitan Government to launch the Moving Tourist Information Center by recruiting guides across the city with the sole intention of resolving difficulties and inconvenience faced by tourists in Seoul. Around 72 tour guides were recruited at that time. They normally roam the busy streets of Seoul wearing red hoods and always on the lookout of tourists who would need their assistance. You can spot them around Myeongdong, Namdaemun, Insadong, Bukchon, Dongdaemun, Itaewon, Gwanghwamun, and Sinchon.

The activist takes great pride and responsibility in their work as they consider themselves to be the face that represents Seoul and they go great lengths to make sure that you and your family have a nice time together. They are there to help you find your way so that no one gets lost so that you spend your time together with your family and enjoy your trip in Seoul.

The Moving Tour Guides can speak and provide assistance in Japanese, Chinese and English language. People generally approach them for information on best shopping areas, finding directions for cosmetic stores, restaurants, and coffee shops across Seoul. They receive close to 300 queries per day. But as they work for the government, they are not allowed to recommend any particular store or brand.

Source:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/02/11/2012021100353.html
http://blog.seoul.go.kr/1433
http://dft.co.kr/ko/community/news.phtml?cmd=read&news_idx=495