Park Drinking Party at 10 PM
Ignoring Alcohol Ban Notices
Groups of 6-7 Gather for Second Round
Enforcement Only Then... Local Governments Struggle
Young people in their 20s drinking at a temporary screening clinic set up in Jungang Park, Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, at 10 p.m. on the 16th.
[Asia Economy Reporters Byungdon Yoo, Seungyoon Song] At 10 p.m. on the 16th, Jungang Park in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon. Young people who had been drinking at nearby bustling restaurants and bars began to gather in the park. This was to have a second round of drinking after bars closed due to operating hour restrictions from social distancing measures. Wherever there was seating space such as benches and stairs, drinking gatherings formed with as few as two people and as many as six to seven. It was a scene reminiscent of street food stalls. The signs prohibiting drinking and eating posted throughout the park were meaningless.
In particular, the temporary screening clinic set up in the park was a "hot place." The installed tent blocked not only the increasingly chilly wind but also the occasional autumn rain. Although patrol teams wearing quarantine vests were patrolling the park, it was of little use. The patrol teams, each consisting of five members in one group, held light sticks and demanded dispersal at each drinking spot, but some ignored them. A few conscientious individuals seemed to leave, but as soon as the patrol teams disappeared, they returned to their original spots. The patrol teams, seemingly accustomed to this situation, ended their guidance with just warnings.
As autumn fully sets in, street drinking, which had disappeared for a while, is increasing again. Local governments tasked with cracking down on this are at their wits' end. Each local government enforces administrative orders banning drinking in urban parks after 10 p.m. and conducts crackdowns, but only temporarily. It is practically difficult to impose fines on every violation found immediately, and there are often disputes with intoxicated drinkers.
A local government official said, "Even after explaining the situation sufficiently and requesting dispersal, many respond stubbornly, asking what they did wrong," adding, "Given the enforcement conditions, a team cannot stay until the group disperses, so there are limits to the crackdown."
This happens more frequently in parks adjacent to urban areas. Recently, in the Hongdae area, controversies arose over violations of quarantine rules as citizens and foreigners drank on the street without wearing masks. When there is nowhere to drink after 10 p.m., some even spread out in alleyways to hold drinking parties.
The police designated the foreigner-dense area around Hongdae as a "special quarantine security zone" and decided to conduct more active crackdowns in addition to existing publicity and guidance activities. The crackdown scope includes violations of quarantine rules such as not wearing masks and gatherings of three or more people, as well as minor offenses under the Minor Offenses Act such as illegal dumping, public urination, and public drunkenness, and violations of the Immigration Control Act discovered during enforcement.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated, "Violations of quarantine rules directly threaten public safety and undermine the quarantine efforts our society has worked hard to maintain. Therefore, we will closely cooperate with related organizations such as Mapo District Office and the Volunteer Crime Prevention Team to carry out more visible quarantine activities."
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