"Too Dirty"... Paju Unjeong Lake Park, Excrement Controversy

Some Communities Spread "Gaettong Left Neglected"
Paju City: "Not Gaettong but Migratory Bird Droppings like Geese"

Recently, complaints about "the area being unbearably dirty due to dog poop" have been spreading mainly through online communities around Unjeong Lake Park and the Sori Stream area in Unjeong New Town, Paju City, Gyeonggi Province.

Flocks of geese gathered around the walking trail at Paju Unjeong Lake Park.
[Photo by Paju City]

On the 20th, posts appeared on an online community in Paju stating, "Dog poop is left unattended every 10 meters along the Sori Stream and Unjeong Lake Park walking trails." They pointed to single-person households living in newly occupied officetels around the park as the culprits of the excrement.

Although the number of single-person households walking their companion dogs has increased, there have been sightings of people not cleaning up after their pets. In fact, since this month, the city hall’s park management department has been receiving numerous complaints demanding stricter enforcement on pet owners.

However, on the 20th, Paju City stated, "The excrement in question is not from companion dogs." A city official said, "The recent dog poop issue around the lake park and Sori Stream is mostly caused by migratory birds, not companion dogs." While it cannot be said that there is no dog excrement at all, the excrement that citizens misunderstand is actually from migratory birds such as geese.

The city explained, "It is not easy to distinguish migratory bird droppings from dog droppings, but if the droppings are slightly thicker than a cigarette or a pinky finger and are watery, they should be considered migratory bird droppings."

Meanwhile, many winter migratory birds have recently gathered at the lake park and Sori Stream. Due to winter drought and reservoir water level adjustments, the water level of the lake park has dropped, making it easier for birds to forage. As a result, bird droppings have been found not only on the water surface and grass but also along the walking trails.

According to park management staff, migratory birds, similar to flocks of pigeons, do not flee even when people are nearby and forage in groups. Paju City stated, "Usually, migratory birds forage along the Han River, reservoirs, or nearby Gongneung Stream, but this year many have gathered at the lake park, causing this situation." They also mentioned that the water cleaning, which was previously done once every morning, has recently been increased to twice daily, in the morning and evening.

They added, "There are still many citizens who do not use leashes or fail to clean up after their pets, so we plan to continue ongoing education and enforcement." They urged, "Excrement collection bins have been installed throughout the park and Sori Stream, so please clean up after your pets for the sake of others."