Drunk Surfing Criminalized (with $685 Fine) in Korea

Korea is cracking down on drunk surfers.

In a new law going into effect on June 21st, 2025, it will be illegal to ride a surfboard in Korea with a blood alcohol content of 0.03 or higher, according to The Korea Times. And if surfers exceed that limit – and they are somehow caught – they could face a fine of 1 million won ($685 USD).

The decree, it appears, is aimed at improving safety in Korean waters. Already, drunken jet ski driving is illegal – but the new law extends to non-motorized crafts, including surfboards and kayaks.

Per the Times, drunk surfers have (surprisingly) become a recurrent nuisance.

“The Coast Guard pushed for the revision amid a rise in accidents involving drunk riders,” they reported, adding: “Experts say drinking alcohol before surfing or kayaking could increase the risk of accidents as it numbs the senses and negatively affects the rider’s judgment and reaction time.”

Despite the apparent rise in incidents, it does make one wonder how often people are surfing drunk? Is it mainly a Korean thing? Drinking culture in Korea is definitely a thing, with shots of soju flowing freely at after-hours joints for the typically strict and well-mannered business class.

But an actual law being necessary to prohibit surfing while drunk? Gotta be a world’s first.

Once enacted, it can be added to the list of weird laws around the world – including no hiking nude in Switzerland, or no suspiciously holding salmon in the UK, or no peeing in the ocean in Portugal – but in the meantime, cheers (geonbae) to the surfers of Korea.