Walked There Just Yesterday... Controversy Surrounds Gangneung Beach's Inconsistent Policies

Fierce controversy has arisen over whether dogs are allowed on beaches after the official swimming season has ended.

The controversy began recently when a post was uploaded to social media stating, "I went to Gangmun Beach and was chased away by a safety guard."

The poster stated, "When I called the city of Gangneung to ask, they said that due to reasons like dog-bite accidents, dogs are not allowed on the beach at any time, not just during the swimming season."

This post garnered massive views and hundreds of critical comments.

Comments continued to pour in with criticisms such as, "Are they going to chase away all the seagulls and pigeons too?", "I want to ask if Gangneung is really a pet-friendly city as claimed", "The bigger problem is the inconsistent policy where answers change depending on who picks up the phone", "Guess I won't be visiting Gangneung then", and "With a pet dog population of 10 million."

In response, some citizens corrected the facts, saying, "That is groundless. I took a walk on the beach with my dog just the day before yesterday," and "I also checked with the city hall, and you can freely walk dogs anywhere on Gangneung's beaches."

Another citizen stated, "I inquired with the Gangneung City Tourism Policy Division and received an answer that companion dogs are permitted outside of the swimming season."

Beaches in the Gangneung area, including Gyeongpo, closed on August 17.

Regarding this, an official from Gangneung City stated, "Outside of the beach opening period, companion dogs are allowed to enter the sandy beach and seawater."

The city has actively begun promoting relevant information through social media and other channels.

However, the user compliance guidelines (total of 9 items) installed on the sandy beach of Gyeongpo Beach include a provision prohibiting the entry of animals such as dogs and cats at the very end.

There are no clear details regarding the hours or periods during which this rule applies.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.