Two-way 4-lane road blocked with 'Dadak Dadak' over 200 illegally parked cars... Roads in Gongdan and downtown areas

[South Korea's Parking War]<2> The Story of Roads Turned into Parking Lots

Chronic Parking Shortage in Industrial Complexes
Only Two Lanes Actually Usable
Accident Risk Due to Trucks Blocking View
Enforcement Is Temporary, Urgent Need for Fundamental Solutions

Last weekend, the four-lane road near Songdo Triple Street at Yeonsu High School in Incheon was obstructed by illegally parked vehicles.
Photo by Byungdon Yoo tamond@

[Asia Economy Reporters Byungdon Yoo and Donghoon Jung] The Namdong National Industrial Complex in Incheon, the largest industrial complex in the Seoul metropolitan area, has been established for over 30 years. Although the industrial complex site, resident companies, and workers have increased dramatically and even the name has changed to Namdong Industrial Park, one thing has not changed: the parking shortage. The 1.5 km section from Beonyeong-ro Intersection 1 to Beonyeong-ro Intersection 2 is a four-lane road in both directions, but with dozens of large freight trucks and about 200 vehicles illegally parked, only two lanes are effectively available for driving.

The Sihwa National Industrial Complex in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, is no different. With over 10,000 resident companies, a parking war rages all day due to work and commuting vehicles. Here too, the four-lane roads have long become two lanes. Vehicles are parked tightly side by side, often preventing loading and unloading of goods. Many workers start their day one to two hours earlier than others to secure smooth parking spaces.

This reckless parking also increases the risk of fatal accidents. Large trucks, which have wider blind spots than regular vehicles, face even greater accident risks as illegal parking obstructs visibility. The narrowed road width due to illegal parking also makes it difficult for fire trucks to enter smoothly and for fire hydrants to be accessed in case of fire, potentially causing significant casualties.

Parking shortages are even more severe in densely populated areas such as near Hongdae in Seoul and Yeouido. In Yeouido, each building lacks sufficient parking spaces, leading some to park at the distant Hangang Park parking lot. Since the With-Corona period, as more citizens visit the Hangang area, regular parking spaces have been reduced to accommodate general public parking. A 30-year-old office worker named Lee said, "The company building parking lot is used by my superiors, so there is no parking space, and I pay monthly fees to park at Yeouido Hangang Park parking lot," adding, "I recently received a message that the number of parking spaces will be reduced, so I am very worried about parking."

Parking shortages inevitably lead to rampant illegal parking. The roads of Songdo Triple Street in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, which sees many visitors during weekend daytime, are no different from industrial complexes. Vehicles parked on both sides of the four-lane road occupy an entire lane. The influx of crowds causes the lanes to disappear entirely, resulting in traffic congestion. Most buildings have parking lots spanning three to four floors, but many citizens unable to find suitable parking spaces park illegally along the roadside. Although enforcement teams frequently respond to illegal parking complaints, their effectiveness is limited. Illegal parking occurs so extensively that enforcement has its limits. While temporary crackdowns are important, urgent measures to fundamentally solve the parking shortage are needed.

Local governments are also struggling with illegal parking occurring everywhere. A local government official in the Seoul metropolitan area said, "Parking shortages in specific areas have been a headache for us for years," and appealed, "We are trying to expand parking spaces, but it is not easy."

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