Seoul City Conducts 'Plogging' on Seoul Dulle-gil... What Does It Mean?

Seoul City to Hold 'Plogging' Events Focused on Health and Environment Along Seoul Dulle-gil in Three Phases (1st on July 16, 2nd on August 20, 3rd from September 1 to 30)... Participants to Receive Biodegradable Bags, Gloves, and Eco Bags as Plogging Kits

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is hosting a popular "plogging" event?picking up trash while walking?on the Seoul Dulle-gil Trail to promote health and environmental cleanup.

As more people who love nature and care about their health increase, plogging is gaining popularity day by day.

Seoul City is conducting plogging on the Seoul Dulle-gil Trail to protect precious nature while taking care of citizens' health.

The plogging event is planned to be held in three phases. The first plogging event took place on July 16 on Course 1 of the Seoul Dulle-gil Trail (Changpowon to Nowon-gol). The second phase will be held on August 20 on Course 5 (Gwanaksan Park to Sadang Station) as a one-day event, and the third phase will be conducted autonomously from September 1 to September 30, lasting about a month.

The satisfaction rate for participation and operation of the first plogging event was highest at 52.9% "very satisfied," followed by 41.3% "satisfied," with "neutral" and "dissatisfied" each at 2.9%.

The number of participants corresponds to the total length of the Seoul Dulle-gil Trail for each event, recruiting 157 people.

※ Participant Recruitment Period

▲ 2nd phase (August 20 event): Recruitment from July 25 to August 1 ▲ 3rd phase (September 1 to September 30 event): Recruitment from August 8 to August 16

※ How to participate: Apply via Google Form

To encourage interest and participation among younger generations in the Seoul Dulle-gil Trail, the first event (July 16) saw an overwhelming response with 1,906 applicants for 157 spots (about 12:1 competition ratio). The second and third phases will accept applications without age restrictions.

Participants in the plogging event will receive a plogging kit including biodegradable bags, gloves, and an eco-bag. After all three events conclude, a raffle will be held for all participants with prizes such as a tablet device (1 winner), electronic watches (2 winners), and DIY flowerpot kits (50 winners). Detailed information and participation methods can be found on the Seoul Dulle-gil Trail website, Instagram, Facebook, and cafe.

Yoo Young-bong, Director of the Green City Bureau, said, "Through the Seoul Dulle-gil plogging event, we hope people realize the importance of nature along with their health and fully enjoy the charm of the Seoul Dulle-gil Trail." He added, "We will continue to develop various participation programs so that the Seoul Dulle-gil Trail can come closer to citizens."

◇ What is Plogging?

The term "plogging" is a noun derived from the Swedish words 'plocka upp' (to pick up) and 'jogga' (to jog), meaning "jogging while picking up trash."

In Korea, the term "jubgging" is also used, combining "jubda" (to pick up) and "jogging" (jogging). It involves picking up visible trash while jogging, serving as an environmental protection movement encouraging small actions to protect the environment while maintaining health through exercise.

Plogging started in Sweden in 2016. Erik Ahlstrom proposed the idea and created the "plogga" website to organize plogging activities systematically. The plogging movement then spread mainly across Northern Europe and, around 2018, expanded throughout Europe, America, and Asia. It began to attract worldwide attention as concerns about environmental pollution caused by plastic waste grew.

Various local governments, organizations, institutions, and companies conduct plogging campaigns and events. Plogging websites, communities, and small groups have also formed. Ploggers and participants share certification photos holding trash bags on social media to promote the plogging movement. The motions of bending and straightening knees or squatting and standing up to pick up trash resemble lower body strength exercises like squats or lunges. Carrying collected trash while running burns more calories, making it more effective exercise than regular jogging.

The method and preparation are simple. Before jogging, bring a bag and gloves to collect trash, then pick up visible trash along the route and separate it for recycling. While some join plogging campaigns or groups, it is also possible to plog alone. When running alone, choose your usual jogging route or any preferred place and time such as neighborhoods, parks, beaches, forests, or fields. Furthermore, picking up trash while walking or strolling is generally considered plogging.

Plogging (plogging) refers to picking up trash while running, whereas plocking (plocka upp + walking) refers to picking up trash while walking. The Seoul Dulle-gil Trail plogging event corresponds to plocking.

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