Inside Seoul Station's new alcohol-free zone
Homeless residents share makgeolli from early morning
'I'll keep drinking,' some say, unbothered by the ban
Alcohol-fueled incidents a persistent problem in the area
Grace period runs through Feb. 28; fines to follow
"I've been through alcohol treatment 13 times — how am I supposed to quit? Drinking is the only leisure I have. I'll keep drinking over at Exit 3 across the street."
Lee, 56, a homeless resident encountered outside Seoul Station around 8 a.m. Tuesday, was already holding a small drinking session. Face flushed, Lee said, "All my friends are here, so where else would I drink?"
Lee was perched on the steps leading down from the station building to the plaza, having already emptied two bottles of makgeolli. The scene stood in sharp contrast to the streams of commuters hurrying past. Despite the chilly morning air, Lee clutched hand warmers and passed them around while sharing drinks with companions — and at one point asked a reporter to buy more makgeolli. Lee said there is no fixed address, splitting time between Noryangjin in Dongjak-gu and Seoul Station plaza.
Asked whether entering a shelter or quitting drinking was an option, Yoo, 45, who was drinking alongside Lee, said, "It's not like I haven't tried." Yoo added, "Over 10 years of living on the streets, I've gone into facilities a few times, but I couldn't stop drinking and ended up back outside." Yoo said the loneliness and pain are so overwhelming that alcohol becomes the only refuge.
An area of roughly 20,000 square meters around Seoul Station was designated an alcohol-free zone starting Monday. The zone spans administrative boundaries shared by Jung-gu and Yongsan-gu, covering the plaza space along Hangang-daero on the eastern side of the station as well as an area near Cheongpa-ro to the west. Near Culture Station Seoul 284, the former Seoul Station building, a banner reads: "Seoul Station Plaza has been an alcohol-free zone since Nov. 9, 2026."
Local authorities and police will use the period through Feb. 28 next year to publicize and enforce awareness of the alcohol-free zone. After that, anyone caught drinking in the area will face a fine of 50,000 won ($37).
While many homeless residents said the designation would not change their behavior, some acknowledged it was a necessary step. One homeless resident near Exit 2, identified only as A, said, "Whenever people drink, they fight — police get called out several times a day. Getting your head split open with a bottle is just a normal thing here." The resident added, "When it gets this cold, I've seen people drink through the night and not wake up the next day."
For commuters passing through the plaza, the scenes are more than just uncomfortable. Seo, 36, who was rushing to work Tuesday, said, "It's not just unpleasant to look at — it's frightening. Sometimes they shout at people walking by, and since you never know what a drunk person might do, I give them a wide berth."
Kim, 52, said, "I can live with them drinking among themselves, but they vomit everywhere and make a racket — it's an eyesore." Kim added, "A lot of foreign travelers come through Seoul Station. What kind of impression does this leave on them?"
![A map showing the alcohol-free zone around Seoul Station plaza. [Seoul Jung-gu Office]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/11/10/news-p.v1.20261110.3a50c5a0fb784c5da8069f6f80e42a5f_P1.jpg)
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