Jung-gu, Myeongdong Garbage Problem Clearly Solved... How?

Garbage Disposal Guide Stickers and Volume-Based Waste Bags Provided at Every Myeongdong Street Vendor
Increased Cleaning Staff... Additional Environmental Officers Deployed, 365 Cleanliness Task Force Hired and Assigned
Introducing a 24-Hour Garbage-Free Myeongdong Street to Restore a Clean Myeongdong Street

Environmental officers cleaning the streets of Myeongdong

Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) has rolled up its sleeves to solve the overflowing garbage problem in Myeongdong.

On February 15, Jung-gu held an emergency meeting and, through on-site inspections and discussions with the merchants' association, presented concrete measures to address the issue of illegal garbage dumping.

First, since most of the garbage originates from street vendors' food, the responsibility for waste management by street shops was strengthened. Each street shop was given a sticker saying "We dispose of your trash" and provided with designated waste bags to encourage tourists to easily dispose of their trash. After business hours, street shops are required to collect their garbage and dispose of it at designated locations.

Cleaning personnel have also been reinforced. Since garbage tends to accumulate mainly during late-night hours when environmental officers are not assigned, Jung-gu added environmental officers during nighttime hours, but it was still insufficient to clean up the trash. Cleaning during late-night hours also posed safety risks.

To address this, Jung-gu deployed two additional environmental officers from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Since the 22nd, eight members of the 365 Clean-up Task Force have been deployed to continue cleaning and garbage collection from 10 p.m. to midnight. The district plans to add two more members to the 365 Clean-up Task Force by March.

Recently, as the number of foreign tourists visiting Myeongdong has increased, the amount of garbage generated in the Myeongdong tourist district reaches 25 tons per day. Eating food sold by street vendors leaves behind sticks, cups, paper, and other trash, but there are insufficient trash bins in Myeongdong. Jung-gu has not neglected installing trash bins in the past. However, when trash bins were installed, illegal dumping around them and foul odors occurred, leading to numerous complaints demanding the removal of the bins. As a result, Jung-gu has had to repeatedly install and remove trash bins over the past decade.

Jung-gu is also considering introducing eight mobile trash bins exclusively for tourists. Environmental officers will install the bins at 3 p.m., remove them at 10 p.m., and clean up the trash. Myeongdong street vendors and shops must dispose of their garbage in designated waste bags and are prohibited from dumping trash illegally into these bins.

Going forward, Jung-gu plans to operate the Myeongdong tourist district as a "24-hour garbage-free street." Garbage generated by street vendors must be placed in designated waste bags and disposed of only at designated locations, and garbage from shops must be placed in waste bags and disposed of in front of their own stores during designated times. The frequency of garbage collection will also be increased.

Additionally, to maintain the cleanliness of Myeongdong Street, known as the "face of Seoul," the district will form a joint public-private task force with the Myeongdong Merchants' Association, street shops, and the Myeongdong Tourist District Council to conduct ongoing guidance and enforcement activities.

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, "Jung-gu has worked hard to establish price labeling and card payment systems so that Myeongdong, the 'number one tourist spot,' does not lose trust, resulting in more tourists confidently visiting Myeongdong." He added, "We will do our best to solve the garbage problem through close cooperation with merchants to restore a clean Myeongdong Street."

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