Jung-gu District Files Complaints Against Unauthorized Illegal Banner Posters

Illegal Banner Posters and Advertisers Both Fined...Repeat Unauthorized Posters Face 30% Additional Fine and Prosecution

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] In the future, it will be difficult to see banners on main roads within Jung-gu. If banners are illegally hung, a fine increased by 30% on top of the existing penalty will be imposed, and advertisers will also have to pay fines.

Jung-gu (Mayor Seo Yang-ho) has established a 'Comprehensive Plan for Illegal Banner Management' aiming for 'Illegal Banner Zero Jung-gu' and plans to strongly enforce it starting in May.

The most notable feature of the plan is the 'Three Principles of Illegal Banner Management' to eradicate illegal banners.

All banners attached between street trees will be removed, habitual unauthorized postings will incur additional fines on top of penalties, and advertisers will be held partially responsible for illegal banner postings.

As the center of Seoul with heavy traffic and pedestrian flow, Jung-gu has long struggled with illegal banners proliferating on main roads, street trees, and road facilities. Banners are the main culprit damaging not only the street scenery but also the street trees.

Moreover, most of the illegal banners are sales advertisements, which are mostly commissioned by construction companies to agencies. Despite continuous fines, repetitive and habitual banner postings continue.

Accordingly, the district will patrol and crack down more than three times a day on weekdays, immediately removing illegal banners installed along main roads, subway entrances, and ventilation shafts. Especially, all banners attached between street trees will be removed. During vulnerable times such as weekends, maintenance contractors will be deployed for cleanup.

Jung-gu plans to actively promote the prohibition of illegal banner installation to public institutions and related organizations within the district, under the policy that public institutions should set an example first. Illegal banners containing district government promotions or event/festival information will be completely banned.

Instead, 'streetlight banners' will be actively encouraged as a new tool for district government promotion. Currently, 1,396 banner holders can be hung across 30 sections within Jung-gu. From July last year to February this year, among 146 approved street tree banner postings over nine months, 117 were from other local governments or public institutions, showing great popularity.

Additionally, the district will guide the use of its district newsletter 'Jung-gu Plaza' and its YouTube broadcast 'Euljiro Jeonpasa'.

Administrative measures will also be strengthened to completely block the intent to install illegal banners.

Currently, fines of up to 5 million KRW are imposed depending on banner size. However, because the cost is cheaper than other advertising methods and the promotional effect is greater than the fine, illegal banners have continued to be installed. Furthermore, sales banners, which are habitually posted without permission, are installed guerrilla-style, making enforcement difficult.

As a countermeasure, fines will also be imposed on advertisers, i.e., the developers. Since banners are installed under delegation contracts between developers and agencies, the district plans to interpret and apply the Act on the Regulation of Violations more actively.

Also, for re-posting, an additional 30% of the existing fine will be imposed, and criminal charges will be pursued to increase the severity of administrative sanctions.

More efforts will be made to manage illegal banners.

The district will contract maintenance services to remove illegal banners found during vulnerable weekend hours. Illegal banners installed during nighttime and early morning, which are blind spots for enforcement, will be addressed by expanding the 'Illegal Mobile Advertising Collection Reward System,' where local residents familiar with neighborhood conditions directly participate in enforcement.

Jung-gu, which first implemented the collection reward system nationwide in 2005, pays up to 500,000 KRW per person per month for collecting illegal advertisements such as banners, posters, and flyers. Currently, 30 residents across 15 neighborhoods are active as community maintenance teams, effectively managing illegal mobile advertisements while providing jobs for socially vulnerable groups.

Although the program often ended early due to budget shortages, the district has secured nearly 20 million KRW in additional city funds this time, allowing the project period to be extended.

Seo Yang-ho, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, "We will take strong administrative actions against those who habitually install illegal banners to evade enforcement, and public institutions will refrain from unnecessary banner postings to create a Jung-gu where urban aesthetics and pedestrian safety are prioritized."

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