Seoul Jung-gu Reduces Illegal Banners by 70%

Establishment of 'Three Maintenance Principles' Including Removal of Banners Attached Between Street Trees...Illegal Banners Reduced by 70% Compared to Before Policy Implementation

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Seoyangho) announced that illegal banners in the area have decreased by as much as 70% due to the 'Illegal Banner Zero Jung-gu' policy launched in May.

From January to April this year, Jung-gu removed a total of 2,816 illegal banners, but from May to September, despite having one more month in the period, the number was only 1,038. On a monthly average basis, it was 704 from January to April, but from May to September, it dropped to 208, a 70% decrease.

This reflects the results of Jung-gu's active efforts to eradicate illegal banners by establishing a comprehensive plan with the goal of 'Illegal Banner Zero Jung-gu.'

Jung-gu, located at the center of Seoul with heavy traffic and pedestrian flow, has long struggled with illegal banners scattered along main roads, street trees, and road facilities. Banners are identified as a major cause of damage not only to the street scenery but also to street trees.

Moreover, most of the illegal banners are sales advertisements, mostly commissioned by construction companies to advertising agencies for apartment sales and other promotions. Despite continuous fines, repetitive and habitual illegal banner postings have been occurring.

Accordingly, Jung-gu established the 'Three Principles for Illegal Banner Maintenance' and started strong enforcement from May. These three principles are unique to Jung-gu: all banners attached between street trees are removed regardless of whether they belong to public institutions; repeat offenders posting banners without permission are fined 30% more than the existing penalty; and advertisers are held partly responsible for illegal banner postings.

Therefore, on weekdays, patrols and crackdowns are conducted more than three times a day, and illegal banners installed along main roads, subway station entrances, and ventilation shafts are immediately removed.

In particular, banners attached between street trees are subject to removal even if owned by public institutions. During vulnerable times such as weekends, maintenance companies are employed for cleanup.

Also, under the idea that public institutions should set an example, Jung-gu actively promoted the prohibition of illegal banner installation to related organizations within the district. Especially, illegal banners containing district government promotions or event/festival information are strictly prohibited.

Instead, Jung-gu introduced a new promotional tool called 'Streetlight Banners.' Currently, 1,396 banner holders are installed across 30 sections in Jung-gu. From January to August, among 50 approved streetlight banner postings, 45 were from other local governments or public institutions, showing its great popularity.

Additionally, residents are guided to utilize the district newsletter 'Jung-gu Plaza' and Jung-gu’s YouTube channel 'Euljiro Jeonpasa.'

Strengthened administrative measures also play a role in eradicating illegal banners. Currently, fines up to 5 million KRW are imposed depending on banner size. However, since production costs are cheaper than other advertising methods and fines are relatively low compared to promotional effects, guerrilla-style illegal postings of sales banners have been frequent.

Furthermore, some agencies exploit the weakness that re-fines cannot be imposed while court rulings are pending after objections to fines, adopting a 'take it or leave it' attitude.

Therefore, Jung-gu took a tough stance by imposing fines on developers, who are the advertisers. Since banners are installed based on contracts between developers and agencies, the Violations of Order Act is interpreted and applied more actively. A major corporation, Company A, as a developer, has already been fined, causing other developers to be on high alert. Additionally, if re-posting occurs, 30% more than the existing fine will be imposed, and criminal charges will be filed to increase the severity of administrative measures.

Jung-gu’s 'Illegal Mobile Advertising Collection Reward System,' first implemented nationwide in 2005, pays up to 500,000 KRW per person monthly to local residents who collect illegal advertisements such as banners, posters, and flyers. This system has made significant contributions to removing illegal banners installed during nighttime and early morning, which are hard to monitor. From March to June alone, 2,531 cases were cleaned up, a 510% increase compared to 495 cases during the same period last year.

A total of 30 people across 15 neighborhoods are active, maintaining illegal mobile advertisements while providing jobs for socially vulnerable groups.

Although the program often ended early due to budget shortages, this year, nearly 20 million KRW in additional city funds were secured, allowing the project period to be extended by one month.

Seoyangho, Mayor of Jung-gu, stated, "We will contribute to creating a pleasant and safe citizen-friendly city by managing and maintaining illegal banners that harm urban aesthetics and pose safety risks."

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