Can you drink alcohol in public in South Korea?
Restricted areas/times
Public drinking is generally legal, but specific areas like parks and bus stops are designated no-drinking zones.
South Korea is one of 15 countries classified “Restricted areas/times” for drinking in public — 42% of the 36 with data.
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Public drinking
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Japan
- Legal Public drinking is legal and a common custom, with no specific prohibitions.
- China
- Legal Public drinking is widely accepted and there are no laws prohibiting it.
- Hong Kong
- Legal Public drinking is legal for adults, with regulations focusing on underage sales.
- Laos
- Legal Public drinking is legal as there are no open container laws or prohibitions.
- Russia
- Illegal Public drinking is banned in nearly all public spaces.
- Singapore
- Restricted areas/times Public drinking is legal but restricted during specific nighttime hours.
Other laws in South Korea
- Public Smoking Bans
- Comprehensive ban
- Driving Age
- 18+
- Homeschooling
- Illegal
Every law in South Korea → · Where can you drink alcohol in public? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.