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Rat sightings in Seoul on the rise

Published: 21 Oct. 2025, 05:00 Updated: 23 Oct. 2025, 17:39

Trash swept in by heavy rain gets caught at a designated fishing zone on the Han River in Mapo District, western Seoul on Aug. 15. [YONHAP]

Rat sightings are on the rise across Seoul as warmer winters, mismanaged food waste and urban redevelopment push rodents into residential areas.

Complaints from residents span both central commercial areas like Gangnam Station, Gwanghwamun and Hongik University Station and residential neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city.

One resident in their 40s, who lives in an older apartment complex on the outskirts of Seoul, said they began spotting rats more frequently this year, especially after heavy rainfall.

“They’re the size of a fist and roam around food waste bins and the playground pavilion,” they said. “My children don’t even flinch anymore when they see dead rats.”

When they raised the issue with the apartment management office, they were told there was “no clear solution.”

As concern grows, district governments are launching aggressive antirodent campaigns.

Data provided to Rep. Kim Wi-sang of the People Power Party shows that the number of rat-related complaints filed with the Seoul Metropolitan Government jumped from 1,279 in 2020 to 2,181 in 2024.

As of July this year, the city had already received 1,555 complaints. The Gangnam, Seocho and Gwanak Districts reported the highest volume of cases across all 25 districts.

Rats are known carriers of infectious diseases such as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and leptospirosis, both of which are classified as third-degree notifiable diseases in Korea. The viruses, found in rat droppings, can enter the human body through the respiratory system or mucous membranes. Severe cases of leptospirosis can cause respiratory failure.

Trash carried downstream from the upper Han River accumulates at an estuary on Aug. 24. [CHON KWON-PIL]

Seoul’s rat population had previously remained low. In 2020, the city set 3,000 traps as part of a baseline population study and captured only 88 rats, a capture rate of 2.9 percent. A city survey that year found 76.7 percent of residents said they had not seen rats in their neighborhoods.

Whether the rat population itself has increased remains uncertain. Some researchers note that while improved sewer systems and redevelopment of low-rise neighborhoods may have forced rats above ground more frequently, the surge in complaints is likely not just perception.

“It’s reasonable to infer that the rat population is growing,” said Woo Dong-geol, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Ecology. “Warmer temperatures have helped them survive the winter, and poor food waste management in the city has created more feeding opportunities.”

Experts say well-fed stray cats are less likely to hunt rats.

Seoul is not alone in facing this problem. A recent study published in the journal Science Advances found that rat populations have increased significantly over the past decade in 11 out of 16 major cities, including Washington, Tokyo and London.

Researchers concluded that rats are an ecological indicator of climate change and structural shifts in cities, not just a sanitation issue. In response, several Seoul districts have adopted more sophisticated tools.

Gangnam District installed 50 smart traps near traditional markets, sewer areas and food waste collection sites. These devices detect movement, automatically dispense poison and alert sanitation teams once a rat is captured. A mobile disinfection unit also disperses pesticides in parks and along riverbanks.

Gwanak District has introduced a comprehensive pest control strategy. It deployed 47 smart traps in key locations and increased street cleaning rotations to eliminate leftover food waste. Officials also placed poison in storm drains, which are commonly used by rats as passageways.

“We're not reviving a 1970s-style extermination campaign,” one district official said. “But we're doing everything we can to address the discomfort and health concerns that rats are causing for residents.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-WOOK [[email protected]]