Jim McMahon

Forget overcrowding and vandalism. A national park in South Korea faces a more vexing challenge: ramen. The instant noodles are popular in South Korea, and many visitors eat them while exploring Mount Halla in Hallasan National Park. But they often dump the leftover broth on the ground and in streams—up to 31 gallons of it a day. That’s a problem, local authorities say, because the broth contains a lot of salt, which can harm plants and wildlife. Plus, the broth’s scent attracts pests, such as crows and weasels. Now park officials have come up with a plan. For starters, they’ve posted signs encouraging visitors to bring along just half a serving of ramen. And for those who end up with leftover broth anyway, officials now provide designated places for them to discard it: large containers set along the trail. Banners scattered around the mountain say: “Let’s preserve the clean Mount Halla and pass it on to descendants as it is.”