Yeongdeungpo-gu Yeouido Stock Exchange Alley (Neogurigul) Area Designated as a No-Smoking Zone

Private Property Designated as No-Smoking Zone: 100,000 KRW Fine for Violations... Legal Basis Established by 2018 Ordinance Amendment... Persuasion Through Dialogue with Building Officials... Smoking Booth Installation Ensures Smoking Rights, Symbolizing Coexistence Between Smokers and Non-Smokers

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) Public Health Center announced on the 2nd that it will designate the privately owned area around the Yeouido securities district alley, known as the ‘Neoguri-gul’ (Raccoon Den), as a non-smoking zone and install smoking booths.

This is the first time nationwide that a non-smoking zone has been established on private property.

The so-called ‘Neoguri-gul’ in the Yeouido securities district is a narrow and long street, 3 meters wide and 200 meters long, surrounded by nine buildings including Hanwha General Insurance, Yuha Securities, Shinhan Financial Investment, and Samsung Life Insurance.

Many securities company employees, unable to find proper smoking areas, gathered in this area, causing the smell of cigarettes to linger constantly and resulting in continuous complaints.

However, since this area is privately owned, the district office had no authority to enforce regulations, leading to conflicts.

In response, at the end of 2018, the district revised ordinances to establish a legal basis for designating private properties such as public open spaces and large buildings with a total floor area of over 5,000㎡ as non-smoking zones.

Additionally, in early 2019, the district sent mail encouraging the establishment of non-smoking zones to 285 large buildings in the area and conducted a demand survey.

To designate the ‘Neoguri-gul’ area in the Yeouido securities district as a non-smoking zone, the district held meetings with representatives of the nine buildings surrounding the alley. However, persuading them was not easy due to reasons such as the need to install separate smoking rooms.

In March of last year, the district conducted a survey among securities company employees regarding the designation of the area as a non-smoking zone, with 80% supporting the measure.

The district shared the survey results with the building representatives and continued steady meetings and persuasion, eventually succeeding in changing their minds. As a result, from January 2, 2020, Neoguri-gul was officially operated as a non-smoking zone.

To protect smokers’ rights, the district installed two smoking booths in front of the Hanwha General Insurance Building and O2 Tower, considering factors such as △ locations that prevent secondhand smoke exposure to pedestrians △ open facilities allowing natural ventilation △ urban designs harmonizing with the surrounding environment.

Kwon (42), a smoker working in Yeouido, said, “Although the path to smoke will be a bit longer, it is a reasonable sacrifice for the sake of non-smokers.”

The district began enforcement in the alley from the 2nd, and a fine of 100,000 KRW will be imposed if smoking is detected.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, evaluated this as “the result of persistent efforts and continuous consideration without giving up on a problem that seemed unsolvable,” and added, “I hope the once notorious ‘Neoguri-gul’ will now become a space symbolizing coexistence between smokers and non-smokers.”

Health Support Division (☎2670-4903)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.