Seoul bans cicada larvae collection in Yeouido Saetgang Ecological Park

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has installed banners in the Yeouido Saetgang Ecological Park area prohibiting the collection of cicada larvae. This preventive measure follows repeated complaints from last year regarding the collective and repetitive harvesting of larvae by some Chinese nationals in the vicinity of the Han River.

While cicadas are not legally protected species, the Yeouido Saetgang Ecological Park is subject to the ‘Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Preservation and Use of Han River Parks’. Under these regulations, collecting or capturing insects, including larvae, without permission can result in a fine of 100,000 KRW.

In certain regions of China, such as Shandong and Henan provinces, consuming cicada larvae, known as ‘zhiliao hou’, is a cultural practice where they are sometimes treated as a high-end food ingredient. Similar incidents have been reported in Tokyo, Japan, where large-scale harvesting of larvae in public parks has led to concerns regarding ecological disruption and public order.