"Parks Are Not for Drinking"... Geumcheon-gu Designates Alcohol-Free Parks and Enforces Drinking Ban

Three Parks Designated as Alcohol-Free Zones: Eunhaeng Children's Park, Geumbit Park, and Bujangcheon Children's Park
Guidance and Crackdown on Drinking, Operation of Horticultural Therapy Programs

Geumcheon-gu (District Mayor Yoo Seonghun) announced on May 26 that it has designated three parks with frequent drinking incidents as "alcohol-free parks."

The district designated a total of three parks?Eunhaeng Children's Park, Geumbit Park, and Bujangcheon Children's Park?as alcohol-free parks to protect residents using the parks from harmful environments such as drinking and violence, and to create a pleasant and clean park environment.

Within the entire boundary of these parks, anyone found possessing an opened bottle of alcohol or engaging in drinking will be subject to enforcement. Even if alcohol is contained in a vessel other than an alcoholic beverage container, if drinking behavior is clearly observed, it will also be subject to enforcement.

After a two-month guidance period, starting August 1, those caught drinking in the parks may be fined 100,000 won. The district will appoint alcohol-free park supervisors to monitor and guide against drinking activities in these parks at all times.

Additionally, the district will regularly conduct alcohol-free campaigns in these parks and install signs indicating their designation as alcohol-free parks.

In particular, during the guidance period, the district will also operate a "garden prescription program" for park users to support emotional stability and rehabilitation. This program, held in the alcohol-free parks, includes horticultural therapy activities such as grass flute performances, making teacup coasters, and plant cultivation.

A district official stated, "In addition to guidance and imposing fines for drinking, we will actively help foster an alcohol-free culture and support residents in returning to society without relying on alcohol through psychological recovery activities in the gardens by operating healing programs together."

Yoo Seonghun, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, "We will do our best to create an alcohol-free cultural environment so that residents can use the parks comfortably and safely, and to spread healthy drinking culture awareness throughout the community."

On April 17, the district established a council for improving the drinking environment and culture in cooperation with Geumcheon Police Station (Baeksan District Unit, Geumcheon Police Box), the Geumcheon branch of the Korea Foodservice Industry Association, and the Geumcheon-gu Mental Health Welfare Center.

The district will continue to consult and operate to expand alcohol harm prevention projects, including cooperation for guidance and enforcement in alcohol-free parks, sharing local issues related to drinking, and recruiting restaurants to participate in programs to prevent accidents caused by excessive drinking.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.