"Why on Earth Are You Doing That to the Tree?" Hanging Rags and Tying Bicycles... Citizens 'Furious' [Reporter Han Goes]

Urban Street Trees Left as Unsightly Cloth and Bicycle Storage
Citizens Complain, "It's Not Private Property and Looks Bad"

Some urban street trees are deteriorating due to the negligence of certain inconsiderate citizens. Some hang mop sticks (right) on the trees to dry, while others use their personal bicycles with locks as their own private bicycle storage (left). Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "They're just doing it for their own convenience.", "Drying even the mop on the tree is too much."

Street trees, planted to improve the urban landscape, provide fresh air and shade, are being damaged by some inconsiderate citizens.

Some lean restaurant mops against the trees to dry, while others use the trees as personal bicycle racks by locking their bikes to them.

Recently, on sidewalks in a busy area of Seoul, restaurant mops were seen drying upside down against street trees. Citizens expressed immediate discomfort.

Kim, a man in his 40s passing by, raised his voice, saying, "They should dry the mops inside the restaurant or beside the building. It seems they only think about themselves." He added, "With concerns about various germs due to COVID-19, who would take responsibility if someone gets infected because of drying mops like this?"

A busy sidewalk in Seoul. A stick mop is placed upside down on the street tree. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

Park, a man in his 30s, also expressed frustration, saying, "I've seen this several times, and it seems they don't consider the people passing by. They only think about themselves."

Responding to citizens' discomfort, a nearby restaurant official said, "Drying outside helps because the wind and sunlight dry the mops well," but added, "Since customers dislike it, we'll find another way to dry them."

Meanwhile, some even use street trees as personal bicycle storage by locking their bikes to the trees all day. Citizens reacted with disbelief.

A man in his 50s who saw a bike locked to a tree said, "I usually don't notice it, but this is too shameless. It seems like some people lack conscience."

Someone is storing a bicycle using a lock on a street tree along a sidewalk in a busy area of Seoul. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

Another citizen in his 30s said, "They should leave their bikes at a proper bicycle rack. This is not right," and added, "Why don't they just keep them inside their own stores?"

Storing mops or bicycles on street trees is illegal. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Ordinance on the Establishment and Management of Street Trees, there is no legal basis for such actions.

Rather, Article 16 of the Street Tree Establishment and Management Regulations encourages street tree management through resident participation.

According to the regulation, residents can participate in street tree management by △ watering, △ reporting pest outbreaks, △ removing obstacles that hinder tree growth or cause damage, and △ reporting to the street tree management authority if the trees are damaged or at risk of damage due to accidents or intentional acts.

In summary, some inconsiderate citizens are causing street trees to be exposed to pests and damaged. A district office official responsible for management and supervision stated regarding citizens' discomfort, "We will manage according to relevant regulations and minimize citizens' inconvenience through complaint handling."

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