According to news on December 26, friends who often travel or will travel to Seoul, South Korea, please note that starting from March next year, you must remember not to feed pigeons and other animals in the city, otherwise you will be severely fined. According to the Global Times citing the latest report from South Korea’s SBS TV station,The Seoul City Government plans to ban feeding "harmful wild animals" such as pigeons and magpies in areas including Han River Park and Gwanghwamun Square from March next year. Violators will be fined up to 1 million won (approximately 5,000 yuan)..
According to reports, the Seoul City Council has recently passed the "Seoul City Ordinance on the Prohibition of Feeding Harmful Wild Animals." According to the regulations, if citizens feed harmful wild animals in restricted areas, they will be fined 200,000 won for the first time, 500,000 won for the second time, and 1 million won for the third and subsequent times.
According to South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo,The city of Seoul is determining the areas where feeding is prohibited, which is expected to include 11 areas including Han River Park, Gwanghwamun Plaza, Seoul Forest and World Cup Park., the final list will be announced in February next year.
South Korea's current laws stipulate that "harmful wild animals" refer to pigeons, magpies, crows, sparrows, etc. that harm crops or fruit trees in groups for a long time. Pigeon feces and feathers can damage buildings and cultural heritage, and even threaten the health of citizens.
In recent years, citizen complaints related to pigeons have increased sharply, from 667 in 2020 to 1,432 in 2023. This is also one of the reasons that prompted the Seoul City to adopt fine measures.
Korean media reported that,The regulations will officially take effect on January 24 next year, but the fine regulations will be implemented from March 1. In addition, Busan and Ulsan are also considering establishing relevant fine regulations.