Seoul Jung-gu, Comprehensive Survey of Protruding Signboards

Last Year, Over 3,500 Illegal Protruding Sign Cases Detected, Approximately 240 Million KRW Roadside Fines Imposed

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Seoyangho) will conduct a full survey of protruding signboards within Jung-gu from the 10th to the 31st.

A protruding signboard refers to a signboard installed vertically hanging out above a store or on the corner of a building. It is estimated that there are about 6,000 such signboards in Jung-gu.

Protruding signboards, including fixed signboards, digital advertisements, standing signs, banners, posters, and flyers, must be approved or reported to the head of the local government, such as the district mayor, according to the Outdoor Advertising Act.

However, cases of installing protruding signboards without obtaining permission, causing disorderly exposure and damaging the street aesthetics, frequently occur. This is because they are installed higher than other advertisements, resulting in better advertising effects.

Accordingly, Jung-gu conducts an annual full survey of protruding signboards in the area.

Last year, a total of 5,180 protruding signboards were surveyed.

Among them, 3,476 were illegal. These cases involved unauthorized installation on roads including sidewalks without permission from the district office or installation of protruding signboards exceeding the permitted area.

Those involved are charged a 'roadside penalty fee' instead of the permitted road usage fee called 'road occupancy fee.' The roadside penalty fee is 20% higher than the road occupancy fee. Therefore, the roadside penalty fees imposed last year amounted to approximately 236.75 million KRW.

Before this year's survey, Jung-gu publicly recruited five fixed-term workers responsible for the full survey of protruding signboards, targeting residents who are well familiar with the local geography and situation.

The survey will be conducted by these workers visiting businesses using protruding signboards under the Outdoor Advertising Act, distributing advance notice letters about the full survey to business owners, and sufficiently explaining the purpose of the survey.

They will also record basic data such as usage period, occupancy area, business registration number, and whether the property is private on the survey form, while simultaneously photographing the target advertisements.

If illegal advertisements are found, voluntary correction will be encouraged, and legal approval methods will be guided.

Additionally, Jung-gu plans to request management and maintenance from business owners for old and dangerous protruding signboards during this survey to prevent safety accidents caused by wind and water disasters.

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