'Hammock villain' at Cheonggyecheon stirs controversy

A man spotted lying in a hammock strung between trees along Seoul's Cheonggyecheon has stoked controversy online.

Videos and photos of the man resting in a hammock tied to street trees along the Cheonggyecheon walkway spread across social media and online communities on Saturday.

In the footage, the man lies in a hammock fastened between trees in the strip of land between the walking path and the stream.

At the time, large numbers of people were sitting along the walkway on the opposite bank, while pedestrians passed through the narrow path right beside the hammock. Some foreign tourists stopped to stare at the man, apparently puzzled by the sight of a hammock strung up in the middle of a public promenade.

Online commenters reacted with a mix of disbelief and frustration. "Does he think this is his private resort?" one user wrote. Others called it "playing Tarzan at one of the most visited landmarks in the city" and complained that "he's gone too far because no one stops him." Some quipped that he looked like he had no intention of going home, with one commenter joking, "At this rate, he'll soon be pitching a tent and grilling samgyeopsal out there."

This is not the first time inconsiderate behavior has been reported at Cheonggyecheon. Recently, footage of foreign tourists openly smoking along the stream drew public outrage. In other incidents, a visitor was caught scooping up "lucky coins" that passersby had tossed in while making wishes, and others have been spotted doing laundry or washing themselves on the stone steps.