Seoul's Seongbuk Stream overflows with cherry blossom picnickers despite restrictions
Along a road above Seongbuk Stream in central Seoul, cherry blossom trees - now slightly past their peak - still draw passersby for photos. But the large crowds lining the sidewalk aren't here just for the seasonal flowers.
Across the street, the real attraction reveals itself.
Smoke curls into the spring air as diners flip samgyeopsal (pork belly) on hot grills atop red plastic tables set just outside restaurant doors. Some are digging into bubbling stews or fried dishes, while all around, glasses clink as groups down soju, beer and highballs.
With warmer air has come yajang season - Korea's seasonal ritual of dining outdoors. Yajang roughly refers to bars or eateries that set up temporary tables outdoors and serve food and drinks, turning streets into open-air dining spaces.
In recent weeks, Seongbuk Stream near Hansung University Station has become one of the city's hottest yajang destinations. Dubbed "cherry blossom yajang," the area went viral online, with scenes of diners grilling meat beneath blooming trees.
Even as the blossoms began to fall on Saturday during a visit to the area, the crowds showed little sign of thinning. By early evening, the outdoor seating at nearly every restaurant along the stretch was packed.
At many spots, the waitlist easily exceeded 50 groups, and dining was limited to 90 minutes.
"It wasn't like this last year," said a staff member at one samgyeopsal yajang restaurant. At the height of the cherry blossom season in early April this year, some waitlists topped 300 groups. "Last weekend, people were waiting up to four hours just to sit outside."
But as yajang spreads, so do the challenges.
At Seongbuk Stream, the influx of visitors has turned sidewalks and streets into crowded, often chaotic spaces. Tables spill into traffic lanes, forcing cars to inch past, while pedestrians weave through lines of people waiting for seats.
"It's a bit disappointing," said Kim Jae-won, a longtime resident of Seongbuk District who regularly visits the stream. "It wasn't like this before. I can't relax like I used to."
Most importantly, many yajang setups operate in a legal gray area - or outright illegally. Restaurants are technically not allowed to serve food outside their registered premises without permission from local governments based on the Food Sanitation Act.
At Seongbuk Stream, such permits have also not been granted, meaning yajang operations are not permitted. In early April, the local government fielded around five reports a day of pedestrian inconvenience caused by outdoor tables near Seongbuk Stream, according to a Seongbuk District official.
District officials have since stepped up inspections, conducting weekly crackdowns and removing illegally placed items left on roads overnight. Still, enforcement remains light. While repeated violations could lead to suspension or closure, most cases end with warnings as the district focuses on guidance over strict enforcement, citing the prolonged economic slowdown and the need to sustain local commercial districts and small business livelihoods.
