Dongdaemun-gu 'Daepo Killer' Issues 2.98 Million Warnings for Illegal Ads in First Half of Year

Continuous Calls from Advertising Company Number Result in 'Busy' Status... Blocking Connection to Consumers
Warning of 'Outdoor Advertising Act' Violation Upon Call Connection... Encouraging Voluntary Suspension

The phone numbers in illegal advertising flyers distributed in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul are always busy.

This is because the ‘Automatic Warning Call System’ continuously makes calls at regular intervals.

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) sent out 2.98 million warning messages in the first half of 2024 using the Automatic Warning Call System, known as the ‘Daepo Killer,’ to deter violators of outdoor advertising regulations.

The district has been continuously operating the ‘Automatic Warning Call System’ since November 2022 to completely block connections between illegal advertising companies and consumers.

When an advertising company’s phone number is entered into the ‘Automatic Warning Call System,’ the system repeatedly calls at regular intervals, keeping the line ‘busy.’ To counteract advertisers blocking the caller ID, the system randomly changes the caller ID among 100 different phone numbers.

If the company answers the call, a recorded warning message informs them that they are subject to violations of the ‘Outdoor Advertising Act’ and administrative sanctions, encouraging voluntary cessation of illegal activities.

To enhance the deterrent effect, the district has shortened the continuous call intervals from 10 minutes to 5 minutes, then to 1 minute. In the case of obscene advertisements, calls are made every second to neutralize the advertising function.

Jo Yong-deuk, Director of Urban Landscape Division of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “We believe that once the advertising effect of illegal advertisements disappears, illegal advertisements on the streets will naturally vanish as well. We will continue to reduce illegal advertising activities through the Automatic Warning Call System.”

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