Deer Inhabiting Bonghwasan Mountain in Suncheon (Image provided by Suncheon City)
YEONGGWANG, May 7 (Korea Bizwire) — What once symbolized grace and quiet beauty is now becoming a source of frustration for many South Koreans. Sika deer, long admired for their gentle presence and iconic status in folklore and nature reserves, are increasingly at odds with residents across the southern regions of the country.
From torn-up farmland to surprise visits in high-rise apartment complexes, their presence is no longer just charming — it’s disruptive.
In Yeonggwang County’s remote Anmado Island, the numbers are staggering. A 2024 survey counted 937 deer in a small coastal zone, with a density reaching 162 per square kilometer — a figure that dwarfs the national average for the water deer, a similarly sized species.
“They trample crops, unearth ancestral graves, and leave behind ruin,” said one frustrated resident. In 2023, nearly 600 islanders jointly filed complaints to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, demanding intervention.
They may now be getting it. South Korea’s Ministry of Environment has moved to amend its wildlife legislation, proposing to designate sika deer as a “harmful wild animal” — a status that would allow for regulated culling by local governments.
Once finalized, officials in Yeonggwang plan to dispatch wildlife capture teams, beginning as early as late 2025. The captured deer will undergo veterinary screenings for livestock diseases before decisions are made on whether they’ll be relocated, buried, or managed in other ways.
But Anmado is just one part of the story.
An animal once welcomed for its beauty now sparks policy battles over farmland damage and public safety (Image courtesy of GoodFon/CCL)
On Sorokdo Island in Goheung County — whose name literally means “Little Deer Island” — the deer are both cherished and contentious. Originally introduced in the early 1990s by a private donor as a therapeutic gesture for patients battling Hansen’s disease, the small population of 40 deer has grown to over 230.
Their unchecked reproduction has led to increasing friction with locals, who report damage to community gardens and landscaped areas. In one disturbing incident last December, a resident illegally slaughtered dozens of deer, prompting a criminal investigation.
As Goheung officials await further legal clarification from the central government, they’re already considering strategies for population control — albeit with caution.
“There’s no clear guidance yet on which deer can legally be captured, and in some cases, ownership of the animals is contested,” said a county spokesperson. “This isn’t just a policy issue. It’s personal and cultural.”
Nowhere is that tension more visible than in the eco-friendly city of Suncheon. Nestled along the southern coast, Suncheon has cultivated a global reputation for its green ethos and conservation efforts. But even here, deer have emerged as a complication.
In recent months, videos of sika deer trotting past playgrounds and lounging near high-rise apartments near Bonghwasan Mountain have gone viral on Korean social media, generating both delight and alarm.
Yoo Cheol-hwan, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, explained measures to address damages caused by abandoned livestock, including Sika deer on Anmado Island. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The origins trace back to the early 2010s, when four deer escaped from a private farm and found refuge in the nearby forest. Over the past decade, their population has grown to nearly 70.
They’ve become unofficial mascots — symbols of urban-nature coexistence — but their presence raises concerns over road accidents and habitat strain.
“We don’t want to see them disappear,” one Suncheon resident said. “But it’s getting harder to live with them.”
That balance — between beauty and burden, coexistence and control — now sits at the heart of the national debate.
The legal revision, expected to pass later this year, won’t automatically solve the issue. It will hand responsibility to local governments, many of which are already wrestling with how to reconcile public safety, ecological preservation, and community sentiment.
“Once the law is enacted, we will convene discussions, conduct research, and consult experts,” said a Suncheon city official. “We are committed to finding a path that honors both the rights of residents and the value of nature. This isn’t about eradication — it’s about coexistence.”
Until then, South Korea’s deer will continue to roam the delicate line between admired wildlife and unwelcome neighbor.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
