Drinking in parks to be banned

Seoul City is pushing for a ban on drinking alcohol in public parks starting next year, in an effort to curb crimes committed by people who become intoxicated.

The city requested to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs to change regulations on city parks last month to prohibit drinking in some 2,000 outdoor public areas in the city.

“We made the proposal in order to minimize the inconvenience experienced by citizens as a result of drunken violence,” a city official said Thursday.

A ministry official said the government will make an effort to revise the regulations as soon as possible.

“Once the revision goes into effect, drinking will only be allowed in restaurants located inside the parks,” said the official. “Fines of 50,000 to 70,000 won could be imposed, similarly to smoking in streets.”

Currently, smoking is banned at parks, but drinking remains unregulated.

“Aside from parks, we are considering also banning drinking alcohol at more public places that are frequented by teenagers and children,” the official said, adding, “We will also have various campaigns to foster a healthier drinking culture.”

The move to ban drinking in public parks comes as part of the government’s extensive measures to regulate drinking, as excessive drinking is continuously being raised as a serious social problem.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said last month that it will draw up guidelines prohibiting drinking in school zones, youth centers and hospitals.

The guidelines will also ban advertisements for alcohol on buses.

In 2011 the National Assembly passed a bill that prohibits commercials for beer, soju and other alcoholic beverages being shown before films at movie theaters.

The law which became effective last May also bans advertisements of alcohol products on screen doors at subway platforms. <The Korea Times/Kim Bo-eun>

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