Seoul Will Implement No Outdoor Drinking Zone, Penalty Of IDR 1.1 Million Await Violators

Illustration of activities on the banks of the Han River, Seoul, South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/Bryan Dorrough)

JAKARTA - The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to designate public spaces including Han River parks and public transportation as no-drinking zones.

The city government announced the law of the revised ordinance on March 24, allowing mayors and district heads to ban drinking in parks, government offices, public transport and educational institutions including schools, kindergartens and libraries, the government said.

According to the Korea Times on March 19, the City Council will vote on the revision after local elections on June 1. If the revision passes, it will take effect six months after the announcement. Those who violate the rules will be subject to a fine of up to 100,000 won or around Rp. 1,183,977

Seoul has been reviewing measures to ban outdoor drinking in these areas, particularly due to rising calls after the death of a student drinking by the river last April.

According to the city's online survey of 1,000 residents, the majority of respondents support the designation of riverside parks as no-drinking zones.

However, those who oppose believe that the revisions limit individual freedoms, as seen in online debates hosted by the city government last June through August.

The city government temporarily banned outdoor drinking at night in riverside parks last July, in response to the spread of the coronavirus. But it lifted the measure last November, as part of the government's scheme to "get back to normal."

In response, a city government official said that "establishing a non-drinking zone requires gathering advice and opinions from experts and citizens,"

He added that even if the revision is passed, the government will try to ban drinking only in restricted areas during the scheduled time, to avoid over-regulation.