Mr. Bae Mo (70) is feeding the domestic pigeons with finely chopped bread at Jongmyo Plaza Park in Hunjung-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 5th. The Seoul City imposes a maximum fine of 1 million won for feeding domestic pigeons, which are considered harmful wildlife, under the local government ordinance, but no 'feeding prohibition zones' have been established yet, so enforcement is not taking place. /Courtesy of Kim Gwan-rae.

Starting this month, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is implementing a local government ordinance that allows for fines of up to 1 million won to be imposed on citizens caught feeding pigeons. Seoul is the only municipality in the country to introduce such an ordinance. This measure is said to prevent the situation where the excessive number of pigeons causes various damages due to their droppings.

However, citizens feeding pigeons in parks are unaware of the fines being imposed. There are also opinions that the level of the fines is excessively high compared to other legal violations. Additionally, there are criticisms that the feeding ban is not an effective means to prevent pigeon damage.

Mr. Lee Mo (74), who is out for a walk with his elderly mother in her 90s, is feeding a domestic pigeon with a tangerine at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul. /Courtesy of Jeong Du-yong.

◇When asked about throwing breadcrumbs to pigeons, they said, 'Fines?'

On the 5th, in a park in front of Jongmyo Shrine in Jongno District, Seoul, around 11:45 a.m., Baemo (70) entered between the trees with a bag. He took out two black plastic bags from the bag and scattered them among the shrubs. They contained finely chopped pizza bread pieces and rice. Immediately, dozens of pigeons flew down and began pecking at the food. The sound of 'cooing' filled the park.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 15th, there is an ordinance in effect that allows for fines of up to 1 million won to be imposed on those who feed pigeons, like Baemo. However, when he was informed of this, he said, 'This is the first I’m hearing of it' and questioned, 'Can’t I even feed the pigeons freely?'

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's 'Ordinance on Prohibiting Feeding of Harmful Wild Animals' that prohibits feeding pigeons came into effect on January 24, and the imposition of fines became possible from the 1st of this month. Harmful wild animals include not only pigeons but also sparrows, magpies, crows, wild boars, and moles, with pigeons being the primary target due to their excessive population. Pigeon droppings are highly acidic, corroding cultural assets, buildings, and vehicles, and exposure can lead to food poisoning, diarrhea, or pneumonia.

The background of the ordinance's enactment lies in the breeding capacity of pigeons, which varies based on feeding. In the wild, pigeons lay two eggs 1–2 times a year, but in urban areas where food is abundant, they lay eggs 4–6 times a year. This means that the number of offspring a female pigeon can increase by in a year can decrease from a maximum of 12 to 2–4 if food is not provided.

A domestic pigeon flies away as a person approaches it inside Seoul Station on the 5th. Seoul Station is not included in the places that the Seoul City is considering designating as 'feeding prohibition zones' for harmful wildlife. /Courtesy of Kim Gwan-rae.

◇Seoul uniquely has a steadily increasing pigeon population... 'due to feeding'

Seoul is the first city in the country to actually enforce the ordinance that imposes fines for feeding pigeons. It appears that this is due to the fact that Seoul is the only city out of all metropolitan cities and provinces where the pigeon population is steadily increasing.

The Ministry of Environment designates areas with numerous pigeon-related complaints as management areas and conducts annual population surveys. The number of pigeons in management areas of Seoul increased by 30.4%, from 7,233 in 2019 to 9,429 in 2023. In contrast, the national population decreased by 33.7%, from 45,383 to 30,089 during the same period. A Seoul official estimated, 'Excessive food supplies for pigeons may have increased their population.'

However, the Seoul Metropolitan Government cannot yet crack down on individuals who feed pigeons. They first need to designate areas where feeding is prohibited, but only administrative notices have been issued so far. The city is reviewing 38 areas as no-feeding zones for pigeons, including 22 urban parks such as Seongdong-gu Seoul Forest and Jung-gu Namsan Park; 4 infrastructural sites such as Jung-gu Seoul Plaza and Jongno-gu Gwanghwamun Plaza; 11 parks along the Han River such as Yeouido and Banpo; and cultural heritage sites including the Seongdong-gu Museum of Waterworks. The city stated, 'These are areas where the excessive pigeon population has caused harm to people.'

However, subway stations and railway stations like Seoul Station, where citizens frequently experience inconvenience due to numerous pigeons, have been excluded from the list. The park in front of Jongmyo, where Baemo fed a large amount of food to the pigeons, was also not included.

Na Mo (29), who runs a dumpling shop inside the Seoul Station, said, 'Pigeons frequently fly into the shop. I get startled every time.' He added, 'There are passengers who give leftover food, which is why there are many pigeons inside the station.' Song Mo (86), who operates a stall outside the station, questioned, 'The pigeons are pecking at the peanuts on the counter. I wish there was enforcement, but why is Seoul Station excluded from the fines?'

Graphic by Jeong Seo-hee.

◇Even throwing cigarette butts multiple times results in a 50,000 won fine... feeding pigeons leads to a 200,000 won fine on the first offense

According to the ordinance, if someone is caught feeding pigeons in prohibited zones, the fines are 200,000 won for the first offense, 500,000 won for the second, and 1 million won from the third offense onward.

However, the fine for littering cigarette butts is 50,000 won regardless of how many times a person is caught. A fine of 130,000 won is imposed for exceeding the speed limit while driving by over 60 km/h. If a business fails to dispose of waste and incinerates it illegally, a fine of 1 million won is incurred. Kim Mo (30), who was observing the feeding of pigeons in Jongmyo Park, stated, 'I wish they wouldn’t feed them, but 1 million won is too much.'

◇'Instead of a feeding ban, it’s better to use 'sterilization feed'... Seoul City is concerned about side effects

Animal protection groups have raised questions about the effectiveness of the policy. Lee Won-bok, the representative of the Korean Animal Protection Alliance, noted, 'The population of pigeons in the country is too high,' but added, 'In Japan, Italy, and the UK, feeding pigeons at designated locations is prohibited, but this has not significantly reduced their populations.'

Lee suggested, as an alternative, 'Let’s provide sterilization feed.' It is reported that when Brussels, Belgium, provided corn kernels containing sterilization components to pigeons at 12 locations from 2019 to 2023, their population decreased by 66%. However, a Seoul official responded, 'There are concerns that providing sterilization feed may lead to side effects in the food chain.'