Via a reader tip comes this news of how drinking is being banned in designated areas in South Korea’s mountain parks:
Trekkers at Daedunsan Provincial Park line up to buy liquor from vendors on Mt. Daedun. Provincial watchdogs have been reluctant to shut down the illegal traders, allowing the business to go on for years. / Korea Times file
Laws banning drinking on mountain tops and in other designated natural areas start this month.
The National Assembly passed the revised anti-drinking laws on Tuesday that affect visitors to mountains and parks under national, city or provincial management, the environment ministry said Wednesday. The laws begin on Mar. 13.
They include fines of 50,000 won ($46) for a first offence and 100,000 won for subsequent violations for people caught drinking in the designated areas.
The ministry’s latest bid reflects its intention to lower accidents in the regions. From 2012 until 2017, 64 of over 1,300 accidents on mountains and in parks were due to alcohol intoxication. Ten accidents were fatal. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but the ban includes smoking as well. It seems like this is going to be incredibly difficult to enforce unless they plan to have police patrol every mountain.
