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Yonsei Ewe? Sheep become unlikely celebrities on campuses, streets of Seoul.

Published: 04 Apr. 2026, 12:34 Updated: 05 Apr. 2026, 17:28

A sheep is seen at Yonsei University’s Sinchon campus in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, on April 2. [KWAK JOO-YOUNG]

“Baa, baa!”

An unusual sound cut through a crowd of about 100 students in school jackets. Past the circle of onlookers was a sheep, with smooth, downward-curving horns and bright white wool, standing calmly at the center, on a warm afternoon on April 2 at Yonsei University’s Sinchon campus in western Seoul.

In recent weeks, sheep strolling through the city have become an unlikely sensation. They are brought in from a sheep ranch in Hongcheon County, Gangwon, run by Byun Woo-seon, who has been bringing five sheep on regular outings into the city since early this year.

Byun typically announces the time and place of each visit ahead of time on social media. When he posted that the sheep would be stopping by Yonsei University, more than 100 students gathered outside the student union building.

University officials, hearing of the visit, reached out to the ranch and proposed turning it into a small promotional event. The sheep were draped in towels bearing the Yonsei logo, and students were invited to feed them and take them for short walks.

Students feed carrots to a sheep at Yonsei University’s Sinchon campus in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, on April 2. [KWAK JOO-YOUNG]

“I saw on social media that the sheep were coming, so I cut up carrots at home and brought them,” said Lee Song-jeong, a Yonsei University student. “I’ve already run out because I shared them with friends.”

Another student, Yoo Min-seo, who carried carrots in a plastic container, said she was thrilled to feed the animals. “I can’t believe I’m seeing sheep on campus,” she said.

When ranch staff told the crowd it was safe to touch them, students petted and even held some of the lambs. The sheep, tethered on leashes, wandered around, nibbling at grass on the lawns and in flower beds. Dozens of students lingered for nearly two hours, following the animals as they moved.

Byun said the idea for the outings came from a desire to offer people a moment of joy and calm.

“My mother struggled with depression, but her condition improved after she began visiting the ranch each week and feeding the sheep,” he said. “I thought this could become a small but meaningful event in people’s daily lives, so we’ve been visiting different parts of the city each week.”

The sheep have already appeared in neighborhoods like Hongdae in western Seoul as well as Myeongdong and Cheonggyecheon in central Seoul. Videos of their city walks have drawn more than 2.5 million views online, along with hundreds of comments asking them to visit other campuses and neighborhoods.

“There are so many messages, I can’t read them all,” Byun said with a laugh.

Byun Woo-seon, a sheep ranch owner, holds up a sheep as students take photos at Yonsei University’s Sinchon campus in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, on April 2. [KWAK JOO-YOUNG]

But not everyone is excited about their visits. Some have raised concerns about bringing sheep, classified as livestock rather than pets, into dense urban areas. Under Korean law, sheep are considered livestock, and insufficient quarantine measures during transport could raise issues under disease control regulations.

Byun said the animals are vaccinated quarterly, the ranch is regularly disinfected and he spends up to 10 hours daily bathing the sheep. A Yonsei University official said the school had confirmed the animals’ vaccination status in advance and coordinated the event with the ranch.

Later that day, the sheep headed to the neighboring Ewha Womans University but they were not allowed onto campus, as animals there are prohibited. About 100 students who had gathered to see them instead crowded near the main gate along a four-lane road. As the crowd swelled in the narrow space, police were dispatched to manage traffic, and the sheep left after about 15 minutes.

“I thought a celebrity had come because there were so many people,” said Yeo Jeong, a Chinese student at Ewha. “Then I saw it was sheep. It was fascinating, but I wish they could have stayed longer.”

“Every outing is hectic, but I also come away energized,” Byun said. “Next week, I’m thinking about visiting the cherry blossom festival in Yeouido.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KWAK JOO-YOUNG [[email protected]]