A dog walker surnamed A was walking along a Han River path when she encountered roughly 20 runners in matching fluorescent vests. Shouting "Coming through! Keep right!" and running three abreast, they bumped into her shoulder as they passed, giving her no time to move aside.
According to a survey conducted last year by market research firm Embrain Trend Monitor on 1,000 adults about "preferred daily exercises," 61.3% of respondents said they most preferred "light outdoor activities such as jogging or running."
Despite running's popularity, public sentiment toward running crews has turned sharply negative.
A "Running and Running Crew Perception Survey" conducted by Embrain Trend Monitor on 1,000 people aged 13 to 59 on the 9th found that 44.9% of respondents expressed an "unfavorable" view of running crews, far exceeding the 33.9% who viewed them "favorably."
The most cited reason for the negative perception was that "they run in groups, causing inconvenience to pedestrians and creating a sense of threat," selected by an overwhelming 68.2%. This was followed by "they seem to disrupt public safety and comfortable use of public spaces" (59.9%) and "running appears to be merely a means, with dating or socializing being the main purpose" (53.2%).
Of the respondents, 70.6% said some level of restriction on running crew activities is inevitable, while 65.2% said restrictive policies are needed to create a safer environment.
Complaints about running crews have been steadily rising. On related online communities, grievances such as "running around in groups like that is really dangerous," "what are they doing blocking the whole road while running," and "they take photos at crosswalks and obstruct traffic" have been continuous.
The backlash has extended beyond online spaces into popular culture. The group Epik High uploaded a video titled "The Original Born Hater Talks About the Worst Villains" on its YouTube channel. In the video, the members cited running crews as everyday villains.
Tablo criticized, "I don't care whether you run or cycle, but please stop going around in groups. Don't stand around in groups and don't do anything in groups." Tukutz pointed out, "Aren't they gathering to enjoy a healthy hobby together? Then they should just do that, but they harm people walking on the sidewalk." Mithra shared his frustration, saying, "Why do they gather, smoke cigarettes, throw away the butts, and then run?" adding that a running crew had been dropping cigarette butts in front of his house before running off.
As public inconvenience mounted, local governments began taking action. Seoul's Seocho District implemented usage rules from the 1st restricting group running of five or more people inside the Banpo Sports Complex in Banpo 2-dong. The district said, "For social clubs of 10 or more people, we recommend forming subgroups of four, three, and three," adding, "Please maintain a distance of at least about 2 meters between people on the track."
Songpa District also hung banners at Seokchon Lake urging people to refrain from group running in groups of three or more. Seongbuk District Office has kept up banners at Seongbukcheon since September last year encouraging "walking on the right and running in a single file," along with continuous electronic signboard messages and announcements. Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, has recommended that running crews refrain from entering the walking paths at Dongtan Lake Park.
Views on strengthening regulations, however, are divided. In the survey conducted on the 9th, 66.6% responded that "etiquette and the voluntary formation of a culture are more important than regulation."
The Seoul metropolitan government urged runners to: run in a single file or small groups on narrow paths; dispose of their own trash; and refrain from loud noise or music. A sports complex official also said, "Rather than regulation, voluntary participation and consideration from the crews are more important."
