Street 'Deokji Deokji' Party Banners... Limited to 2 per Eup, Myeon, and Dong

Resolution of Related Laws at the State Council Meeting
Limited to 2 per Eup, Myeon, and Dong

In response to the National Assembly general election this April, the numerous party banners that had proliferated will be systematically organized. This is due to the revision of related laws and enforcement decrees.

On the 5th, party banners were hung on the road in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

On the 9th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the Outdoor Advertising Act amendment and enforcement decree, which strengthen restrictions on the number and installation locations of party banners, were approved at the Cabinet meeting. The related laws and enforcement decrees will take effect from the 12th.

Party banners are governed by the Outdoor Advertising Act, not the Public Official Election Act. Controversy over party banners began when the Outdoor Advertising Act was revised in December two years ago. This law did not restrict the locations or quantities of party banners to guarantee freedom of political expression. As party banners became rampant, some local governments implemented their own regulations. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety also recognized the need for regulation, leading to this legal amendment.

The amended law, passed by the National Assembly plenary session on December 28 last year, limits the number of banners each party can hang to two per eup, myeon, or dong (township or neighborhood), but allows one additional banner in eup, myeon, or dong areas larger than 100㎢. Additionally, banners must be installed only in locations that do not compromise pedestrian or traffic safety, with specific locations and sizes to be determined by the enforcement decree. Furthermore, banners must be voluntarily removed after the display period (15 days) expires, and the law clearly authorizes local governments to remove party banners that violate quantity, location, or installation methods.

The revised enforcement decree specifies the installation locations, sizes, and display and installation methods delegated by the law. First, party banners are prohibited in child protection zones and areas marked with no parking signs near fire facilities. In areas such as intersections, crosswalks, and bus stops where pedestrian passage or driver visibility may be obstructed, the bottom of the banner must be installed at a height of at least 2.5 meters (with the bottom string attached to the banner at least 2 meters high). Additionally, banners must not block other banners, traffic signals, or safety signs, and when installed on poles with traffic safety signs, utility poles, or streetlight columns, the number of banners is limited to two to prevent the structures from toppling due to strong winds.

The banner size is limited to within 10㎡, the same as election banners under the Public Official Election Act, and the text on the banners must be clearly legible with a minimum vertical size of 5 cm, showing the display period (start and end dates) and contact information (party and installation company). Local governments will be authorized to remove party banners that violate these display or installation methods.

Ko Gi-dong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, “We will closely cooperate with political parties and local governments to ensure that the improvements to prevent the proliferation of party banners function properly on the ground,” and added, “We will actively enforce these changes in the field so that the public can feel the difference in the changed environment.”

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