This Feb. 6, 2021 photo shows a line of homeless people waiting for a free meal at Seoul Station Square in central Seoul. Newsis

Seoul City is set to ban demonstrations by religious groups and evict homeless people from Seoul Station Square, based on a new ordinance that took effect late last month.

The ordinance on "promoting environmental development for sound use of the Seoul Station Square," proposed by Seoul City Councilor Park Young-han of the ruling People Power Party, passed the Council's general assembly, March 8, and came into force March 26.

"Seoul Station is a major transport hub of Seoul City that receives some 600,000 daily passengers on average. Yet, at the city's gateway Seoul Station Square, religious propagation by religious people as well as drinking and smoking by homeless people, have caused inconvenience to the public," Park said.

"There are 1,142 homeless people around Seoul Station Square and 21 groups and 892 individuals that hold religious propagations and demonstrations in the area," the councilor said, explaining he proposed the ordinance to curb the growing number of related complaints and incidents.

The ordinance obligates the Seoul mayor to create a safe and sound environment around Seoul Station Square and host regular meetings with related parties — the central government, KORAIL, the district office and the precinct — to establish relevant management policies for the square.

Seoul Station Square has several entities in management and ownership, making it difficult to establish integrated urban management for the area, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

The site of Seoul Station Square is owned by the state-run Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL), while the on-land property is controlled by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Meanwhile, the Cultural Heritage Administration under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism owns the former Seoul Station building at the square, which reopened in 2012 as a multi-purpose exhibition space dubbed Culture Station Seoul 284, with the number referring to how the station was designated as Historic Site No. 284 in 1981.

As a result, the Seoul Metropolitan Government cannot carry out any crackdowns in the area despite growing civil complaints.

The city received some 17 complaints about homeless people drinking or urinating in public in the square between Sept. 27, 2018, and July 3, 2023.

Under the ordinance, the city government plans to launch anti-smoking and anti-drinking campaigns at Seoul Station Square.

Also, the city government will provide housing support for homeless people while protecting their rights to movement and expression.