Why Did Cha Hyun-il, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor, Take Strict Traffic and Quarantine Measures at 'The Hyundai Seoul'?

March Vehicle Odd-Even License Plate System and Free Member Parking Suspended... 2,000 Parking Spaces at Nearby Buildings Used to Ease Traffic Congestion... Visitor Reservation System Introduced and Ventilation Frequency Increased from 6 to 12 Times per Hour... Over 40 Staff Deployed Last Weekend to Check Compliance with Quarantine Rules

Discussion on Traffic Measures

Inspection of Compliance with Quarantine Guidelines

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Chae Hyun-il) is providing special management for the recently opened department store, The Hyundai Seoul, to alleviate residents' inconveniences and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

When The Hyundai Seoul, the largest department store in Seoul, opened in Yeouido on the 26th of last month, it attracted a huge crowd, causing a commotion. There were growing concerns about residents' inconvenience due to traffic congestion and the potential spread of COVID-19.

In response, the district requested and implemented measures that go beyond the social distancing stages, such as enforcing a two-day vehicle restriction system, suspending free parking for members, introducing a store reservation system, and enhancing indoor air quality.

Additionally, district office staff were assigned separately to monitor compliance with quarantine rules as part of the special management.

Voluntary Two-Day Vehicle Restriction and Suspension of Free Parking Benefits in March

The most notable measure is parking restrictions. To reduce crowding inside the department store and ease traffic congestion on nearby roads, the district requested a temporary two-day vehicle restriction system. The department store acknowledged the necessity and decided to implement a voluntary two-day vehicle restriction for customers visiting on weekends throughout March.

Furthermore, the two-hour free parking benefit provided to Hyundai Department Store card members was suspended.

As a result, about 8,500 vehicles visited the department store during the first weekend after opening (February 27-28), but only about 6,100 vehicles used the parking lot during the second weekend after implementation (March 5-6), achieving approximately a 30% reduction.

Additional 2,000 Parking Spaces Secured in Nearby Buildings on Weekends

The district is also actively addressing residents' inconveniences caused by traffic congestion and illegal parking on nearby roads due to the influx of vehicles.

Before opening, discussions were held three times regarding traffic condition improvements and deployment of personnel to control intersections.

As more vehicles than expected arrived, the following improvements were made: ▲ use of 2,000 parking spaces in nearby buildings on weekends ▲ opening of a right-turn lane at the Sambu Apartment intersection after 5 p.m. on weekdays and weekends ▲ additional deployment of personnel at bus stops.

For long-term relief of congestion at surrounding intersections, the district is considering changes such as adjusting signal timings during weekends, installing bus stops in the center lane, and modifying the department store’s entrance and exit toward Gukje Geumyung-ro.

Moreover, on weekends, 10 parking enforcement officers will be deployed to completely block illegal parking around the department store area.

Introduction of Visit Reservation System and Enhancement of Air Quality

A visit reservation system will be introduced for popular stores to prevent situations where social distancing is not properly maintained due to many waiting customers. For stricter quarantine, elevator capacity will also be reduced by about 40% (from 24 to 15 people).

Additionally, real-time information on congestion at entrances and connecting corridors will be provided, and entry will be restricted if the department store exceeds its own crowding standards. Information boards will be installed at nearby subway stations to allow customers to check store congestion levels and decide whether to visit.

Indoor air quality management will also be strengthened by increasing ventilation cycles through the air conditioning system from 6 times per hour to 12 times per hour.

Strengthened Guidance and Inspection of Quarantine Rule Compliance

Compliance with quarantine rules inside the stores will be more thoroughly checked. Last weekend, the district deployed about 30 staff members to inspect social distancing among customers, installation of partitions in common areas, and guidance on spacing on escalators.

Staff were assigned to each floor, and if some stores became crowded making distancing difficult, floor managers immediately corrected the situation.

In particular, 10 dedicated personnel were separately assigned to 159 food service establishments with high infection risk.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, expressed gratitude to The Hyundai Seoul for actively responding to the demand for high-intensity measures beyond social distancing stages and stated, “We will do our utmost until the end to resolve residents’ inconveniences and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

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