'Eradicating Illegal Advertisements' in Incheon City... Introduction of Voice Warning and Digital Billboards

Support for Small Business Signboard Improvement and Outdoor Advertising Consumer Coupons

Onnuri Shopping Center in Namdong-gu, Incheon, renovated through the signboard improvement project

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyesook Park] Incheon City plans to introduce digital banners to organize illegal advertisements and provide financial incentives to local governments excelling in advertisement management. Additionally, support measures for small business owners, such as signboard improvement and outdoor advertising consumer coupon projects, will be implemented.

The city announced on the 22nd that it will invest a total of 2 billion KRW next year to promote 12 projects aimed at eradicating illegal advertisements that damage the city's image and cause inconvenience to citizens' lives.

First, to eliminate floating advertisements such as sales banners hung and scattered along roadsides, illegal loan and obscene flyers, the city will implement an 'automated telephone voice guidance service.'

This service repeatedly sends removal and warning voice messages at intervals of 5 to 20 minutes to illegal advertisement operators to encourage voluntary cleanup. The city plans to spend 140 million KRW next year and aims to be the first among six metropolitan cities and special cities to introduce this service across all 10 districts and counties in Incheon.

The 'Resident Participation Illegal Advertisement Collection Reward System,' which has been in operation since 2017, will also be expanded. This citizen-participation project rewards citizens who collect illegal floating advertisements such as posters and flyers (including business card-type flyers). So far, over 2,800 citizens have participated, collecting a massive amount of illegal advertisements.

In line with the changing IT era, the city will also introduce new 'electronic horizontal public banner stands' and 'electronic display stands' the size of electronic signboards.

Electronic banners and display stands can effectively convey information using various video effects, prevent the indiscriminate proliferation of illegal banners, and reduce banner disposal costs. The city plans to select pilot areas by district and county for operation and gradually expand the program.

Furthermore, recognizing the importance of cooperation from districts and counties to establish a proper advertising culture, the city will select outstanding local governments in outdoor advertising work annually and provide financial incentives.

To support small business owners and local shopping districts struggling with business and livelihood difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor advertising support policies will also be implemented.

The city will promote a signboard improvement project to enhance advertising effects by preserving the unique characteristics of stores and shopping districts operated by small business owners. For this, 900 million KRW will be provided to 178 businesses to renovate their signboards with beautiful designs.

Additionally, to help revive the outdoor advertising industry, which has been stagnant due to COVID-19, and enable small business owners to individually replace old and worn signboards, 160 million KRW will be invested in the 'Outdoor Advertising Consumer Coupon' support project.

An Incheon city official stated, "To ensure proper and lawful production and installation of advertisements, we will hold an 'Outdoor Design Academy' for advertising business operators, and we will also work with private experts to inspect ownerless or old signboards to prevent safety accidents."

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