Can Seoul stay runner-friendly? Complaints over crowded paths, no shirts weigh on districts.
Published: 08 Jan. 2026, 07:00
Updated: 09 Jan. 2026, 11:38
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- LEE JIAN
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![A man is running by the Han River in Seoul.[JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/01/09/f977d1f3-0c8f-4dab-8c61-d66ca3cc577c.jpg)
A man is running by the Han River in Seoul.[JOONGANG ILBO]
“No going shirtless.”
Displayed on a sign, the warning is aimed at runners in Yeouido Park in western Seoul — one of the many public outdoor spaces where running crews and solo joggers have come to dominate the paths in recent years.
Running didn’t used to be this big in Korea. But over the past few years, it has ballooned into a mainstream lifestyle. Industry experts estimate that about 10 million people, roughly one in every five Koreans, now run regularly.
Seoul, in particular, is a great city to run in, with dozens of long, mostly uninterrupted riverside paths along the Han River and routes around major landmarks and parks that keep runners largely away from traffic. People in flashy shoes and polyester clothes are now a familiar part of Seoul’s landscape, striding along scenic riverside paths, tracing palace walls and filling neighborhood parks.
The boom, however, has also sparked a wave of complaints from those who say public spaces are being treated like private training grounds, citing revealing outfits, shouted chants and other inconsiderate behavior. As increasingly hostile signs pop up around the city, can Seoul stay runner-friendly?
![Three men are running at a roadside in Seoul on Aug. 13, 2025. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/01/09/62b9ea57-8523-4f51-bce7-5b2edb588baa.jpg)
Three men are running at a roadside in Seoul on Aug. 13, 2025. [YONHAP]
Running took off as a mainstream sport in Korea with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, which shut down sports facilities and made team activities seem riskier to participate in. Running surged as the rare workout that was cheap, solo-friendly and outdoors. As the pandemic waned, the practical workaround turned into a culture as social media filled with after-work “running crew” meetups and post-run selfies.
The domestic running market was valued at about 4 trillion won ($2.77 billion) in 2024, according to the most recent data from Euromonitor International. It is up from roughly 2.77 trillion won in 2021 and 3.41 trillion won in 2023. The running shoe market alone is now widely described as an over 1 trillion won category, as sneaker consumption shifts from lifestyle fashion to performance and function.
But along with the wellness frenzy has arisen unexpected cultural pushback.
“I don’t want to see shirtless runners during my walks. It is unpleasant,” read a Naver community post in October. “They shout at me to move to make way for like a group of eight runners,” read another post. Others argue that the problem is taken too seriously. “People are too critical,” read a comment on the same community thread.
As the issue continued to mount for a year, local governments began to take action to promote a set of guidelines for runners in public spaces.
![A roadside sign in Jongno District, central Seoul, reminds runners to run quietly in a single line. [LEE JIAN]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/01/09/e3545af9-7db3-4b7d-bd20-75b3ffedf4cc.jpg)
A roadside sign in Jongno District, central Seoul, reminds runners to run quietly in a single line. [LEE JIAN]
![A roadside sign in Yeouido Park, western Seoul, indicates four rules for runners: No taking off shirts, no clapping or shouting, no running in groups, and no yelling 'Move, move.' [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/01/09/153e2e3f-e8d8-4e91-be31-309f27f7211d.jpg)
A roadside sign in Yeouido Park, western Seoul, indicates four rules for runners: No taking off shirts, no clapping or shouting, no running in groups, and no yelling 'Move, move.' [SCREEN CAPTURE]
The Seoul Metropolitan Government launched a campaign in September, promoting “etiquette” for outdoor runners, including running in single file and the use of headphones instead of speakers and “neat” clothing.
Running shirtless is not illegal in Korea, though it was punishable by law under the Act on the Punishment of Minor Offenses, until the Constitutional Court of Korea ruled it unconstitutional in 2016.
Individual districts have also taken action to advocate similar runner guidelines. Major paths for runners around the city are now lined with new signs — some rather bluntly — reminding runners to be more mindful of the regular pedestrians in the city.
The Seocho District Office in southern Seoul restricts runners in groups bigger than five people at Banpo Sports Complex. Songpa District, also in southern Seoul, advises that runners run in groups of fewer than three at the Seokchon Lake Park. Jongno District in central Seoul also set up large signs by the pedestrian way along the Gyeongbok Palace’s outer walls, reminding runners to be quiet and keep to a single line.
Seoul city claims that it is not its intention to make the city hostile to runners, but rather to "create an atmosphere where all Seoul citizens can enjoy themselves," said an official from the city's sports tourism desk, "and we will continue to support the mindful behavior of the runners."
BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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