"Sleep Deprivation Stress"... 'Bulya-seong' Seoul, Over 1,000 Annual Complaints About Light Pollution

1,454 Civil Complaints Filed in Seoul Last Year
"May Increase Sleep Disorders, Depression, and More"

On the 1st of last month, the area in front of Gongdeok Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul, remained brightly lit even after sunset. The brightness of the outdoor advertising boards near Gongdeok Station was unusually high. In fact, last month, Mapo-gu Office received related complaints, which led to guidance measures to reduce the illuminance of the advertising boards. The complaints stated that "it is difficult to sleep at dawn due to the light from the outdoor advertising boards." A 31-year-old female resident of Mapo-gu, Lee (31, female), said, "The light from the electronic display was so bright that it was bothersome when passing in front of Gongdeok Station," adding, "If bright light enters residential areas, it can cause severe stress."

Seoul, known as the 'city that never turns off the lights,' receives over 1,000 complaints annually related to light pollution. Since light pollution directly affects the body, causing sleep disorders and other health issues, there are calls for increased awareness.

Reporter Dongju Yoon doso7@

According to Seoul City on the 8th, a total of 1,454 complaints related to light pollution were recorded last year. In 2019, there were 2,168 complaints; in 2020, 1,844; and in 2021, 1,855. Each year, Seoul City receives well over 1,000 complaints related to light pollution. This accounts for about one-quarter of all light pollution complaints nationwide. As of 2021, the Ministry of Environment received 7,915 complaints related to light pollution.

In South Korea, the management of light pollution began in earnest with the enactment of the "Act on the Prevention of Light Pollution by Artificial Lighting" (Light Pollution Prevention Act) on February 1, 2012. According to the law, luminous installations such as outdoor advertisements must comply with appropriate standards regarding light emission time, light intensity, and installation strength when setting up lighting facilities. According to the Ministry of Environment's "Guidelines for Installation and Management of Lighting Equipment to Prevent Light Pollution," video-type advertising lighting located in residential areas must maintain an illuminance of 25 lux (lx) or less. For reference, a typical living room light is about 100 lux.

Under this law, local governments can impose fines and administrative measures if the relevant companies refuse to suspend the use of lighting facilities. Additionally, they can claim damages through lawsuits. There have been actual rulings involving damages. Around May 2021, the residents' representative council of an apartment complex in Dongnae-gu, Busan, installed LED lighting fixtures on the rooftops of three buildings and lit them for five hours. This was intended to increase the apartment's value. However, residents living in the upper floors filed complaints and also filed a lawsuit for damages. In November last year, the 11th Civil Division of the Busan District Court (Chief Judge Jeon Woo-seok) ruled that the residents' representative council must pay 5 million KRW in consolation money to resident A. The court stated, "If artificial lighting causes harm to a person's health, the party responsible for the cause is liable for damages under civil law, even if there is no fault."

Despite this, concerns are raised that ongoing light pollution problems may adversely affect people's health. Irregular light exposure cycles reduce melatonin, a hormone regulating biological rhythms, disrupting the body's circadian rhythm. This can lead to decreased immunity and, in severe cases, increase the risk of prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Children exposed to light pollution may experience developmental issues because growth hormone secretion, which is concentrated between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., is blocked. Professor Oh Dae-jong of the Corporate Mental Health Research Institute at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital said, "Light pollution can increase the risk of sleep disorders, depression, and bipolar disorder," adding, "Especially with chronic exposure to light pollution, the negative effects on the brain may increase, so it is important to be vigilant and respond accordingly."

There are calls to raise the level of sanctions while enhancing the expertise of administrative agencies. To take administrative actions such as improvement orders, usage restrictions, or suspension of use, fines must be imposed at least three times. Although the initial fine was raised from 50,000 KRW to 300,000 KRW in 2020, it is still not a significant burden. Some local governments lack dedicated organizations to manage light pollution, or related departments are not unified, causing confusion in operations. For example, in Dongdaemun-gu, the Urban Landscape Division is responsible; in Yangcheon-gu, the Architecture Division; and in Seongdong-gu, the Urban Planning Division handles it. The Ministry of Environment pointed out in its comprehensive light pollution prevention plan that "light pollution prevention tasks are scattered across various departments in local governments," and emphasized that "centralizing these dispersed tasks will maximize policy effectiveness."

Professor Park Jung-soo of the Department of Public Administration at Ewha Womans University said, "Strengthening administrative measures such as increasing fines will send a clear signal to citizens that pollution-related penalties will be tightened," adding, "Sudden strengthening of administrative measures may cause side effects, so it is advisable to apply them gradually after pilot implementation."

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