Dongjak-gu to Remove 50 Utility Poles by Next Year

Full Survey of Utility Poles Causing Passage Inconvenience to Be Conducted This Month

Dongjak-gu, Seoul (Mayor Park Ilha) will remove 50 utility poles by next year. Not the symbolic ‘utility poles’ of regulatory reform, but the actual utility poles that cause inconvenience to passage.

Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak District, is talking with residents at the site of the utility pole relocation in Sadang 1-dong last November. Provided by Dongjak District.

According to Dongjak-gu on the 18th, the district will relocate and install utility poles that cause inconvenience to passage through the ‘Utility Pole Relocation Project for Passage Convenience’ with the goal of achieving a cumulative total of 50 poles by next year.

This month, a full survey will be conducted to identify the location and condition of all utility poles in the district and whether they obstruct public passage. Poles located in the center of sidewalks or roads that interfere with vehicle traffic will be diagnosed, and two locations per neighborhood will be selected.

Then, to determine the feasibility of relocating the selected utility poles, prior technical reviews will be requested from Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and KT, followed by joint on-site inspections. Even if relocation is approved, the district plans to secure consent through sufficient understanding and persuasion so that building owners and residents near the poles can accept the changes.

Since 2023, the district has relocated a total of 24 utility poles that obstruct passage. As a campaign pledge of the 8th local government administration, the district has exceeded its annual targets, receiving strong support from residents.

In particular, Dongjak-gu explains that it is virtually the only autonomous district actively promoting this project by allocating its own budget. This year, the district is investing 300 million KRW of its own funds to carry out the relocation project.

Mayor Park Ilha said, “Relocating utility poles that cause inconvenience to passage is a promise to our residents and an indispensable measure to improve the walking environment, so we will complete it without any setbacks.” He added, “We will continue to do our utmost to make Dongjak-gu a comfortable and safe place for residents to live.”

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