Alcohol Ban at Seoul Station Plaza Starting Tomorrow; Fines From March

Drinking alcohol will no longer be allowed at Seoul Station Plaza starting Monday, the 9th. The local government designated the plaza area as an alcohol-free zone after repeated complaints from citizens about homeless people drinking and causing disturbances. After a grace period, violators will face a fine of 50,000 won starting next March.

A survey showed that about 96% of respondents supported the designation of Seoul Station Plaza as an alcohol-free zone. However, critics question whether the designation alone can genuinely solve the drinking problem.

Seoullo 7017, the Seoul Station underground passageway, and subway entrances were excluded from the alcohol-free zone. This means people who simply move to other nearby spots fall outside the scope of enforcement.

Doubts have also been raised about the effectiveness of imposing fines. Since most of those drinking at the plaza are homeless people who lack the ability to pay, the fines could remain unpaid for long periods.

Seok Jae-eun, a professor of social welfare at Hallym University, pointed out that "imposing penalties may not be a very effective approach for homeless people," calling for therapeutic and fundamental support to help with alcohol addiction recovery.