Is There a Way to Stop the Flood of Political Banners Causing 'Gukron Bunyeol'?

Published 16 Mar.2023 07:56(KST)

Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors Holds Regular Meeting on the 15th, Resolves to Propose Legal Amendments Regarding Safety in Political Banner Posting

Issues of Fairness Arise Between Small Business Owners and the General Public Amid Livelihood and Economic Crises

Proposal to Delegate Matters Related to ‘Installation and Management of Banners’ to Presidential Decree

Political advertisement banners that divide public opinion are flooding various parts of Seoul, drawing criticism from citizens.

Amid this, the Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors (Chairman Lee Seongheon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, photo) drew attention by focusing on the problems of political advertisement posting at its regular meeting held on the 15th.

At the meeting, the council resolved to propose amendments to the Outdoor Advertising Act, citing safety threats caused by the proliferation of banners, as the law currently allows installation of political party policies and political issues as part of normal party activities without separate reporting, permission, or prohibition.

Three autonomous districts?Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gijae), Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seongheon), and Gangseo-gu (Mayor Kim Taewoo)?jointly proposed that Seoul City actively advocate for amendments to the Outdoor Advertising Act, reflecting opinions from all 25 districts, to restrict the quantity and installation locations of political banners in order to ensure citizen safety and alleviate inconvenience.

They particularly pointed out that the absence of regulations limiting the number and locations of banners leads to urban aesthetic degradation and threatens pedestrian and vehicle safety due to banner overcrowding at intersections and streetlight poles.

These districts argued that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s guidelines require contacting the party or installation company for maintenance in cases of disasters or accidents, making rapid response to ensure resident safety difficult.

They also noted difficulties in recognizing display periods (within 15 days) due to insufficient standards for banner display information.

Furthermore, they emphasized that despite banners being regulated by law, issues of fairness arise between small business owners and the general public amid livelihood and economic crises.

These districts criticized, “Currently, amid livelihood and economic crises, general citizens such as small business owners still face restrictions like reporting, permission, and limitations on designated posting boards, leading to complaints about fair law enforcement.”

In response to these concerns, Seoul City announced plans to prepare guidelines for the installation and management of political party banners based on the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s guidelines, seek cooperation from each district, and conduct education and publicity for outdoor advertising operators.

Notably, the council resolved to propose that the Outdoor Advertising Act establish a legal basis for the ‘installation and management’ of political banners, and that matters related to ‘installation and management of banners’ be delegated to presidential decree, in addition to the current regulation which only delegates matters concerning display methods and periods.

A Seoul district official said, “As the ruling and opposition parties are sharply divided, blatant political banners that divide public opinion are rampant. Some level of regulation is desirable.”

The meeting was attended by a total of 24 district mayors (including 11 proxy attendees), led by Chairman Lee Seongheon (Mayor of Seodaemun-gu), and nine department heads and bureau chiefs from Seoul City, including Administrative Deputy Mayor Kim Euisung.